The Bloodbender
by beigeblobfish
Summary: After being exposed as a fraud, Noatak has fled Republic City. Korra restores Tarrlok's bending and the two leave on a mission to hunt Noatak down. As Korra struggles to come to terms with the man who once kidnapped and bloodbended her, she discovers another side of the illegal art, and another side of Tarrlok. An 11-part series, updated Fridays. Korrlok, Noalok, Amorralok.
1. Tarrlok's Second Chance

Earth. Fire. Air. Water. Only the Avatar can master all four elements and bring balance to the world.

Tarrlok wasn't the Avatar, but he was once a formidable water bender. He and his brother discovered their bending abilities as young boys growing up in the Northern Water Tribe. They spent many happy days playing in the snow, and sometimes at the edge of the lake, building snowmen and sending sprays of freezing water at each other. Their favorite activity was to carve two little sleds out of solid ice, one for each of them, and race down the slopes with the cold wind bracing their ruddy cheeks.

Their father, Yakone, watched the young brothers from a distance. Yakone was once the crime lord of Republic City, the metropolis that Avatar Aang had founded to bring the four nations together in harmony. Yakone had also been a notorious bloodbender until Aang took his bending away. He then fled Republic City under a new identity and started a family, but never stopped having vengeance on his mind and hatred in his heart. As he watched his young sons command the water, snow, and ice, Yakone knew his sons' destinies: they would become bloodbenders, kill the Avatar, and avenge their father.

The good days were behind them. Tarrlok hated every moment of his training, but it made him a dangerous fighter and the possessor of a dark, secret art. Bending did not bring him joy, but it was a part of him.

And now it was gone.

Right now, Tarrlok was behind bars in a cold and empty attic on a deserted island. He had been there for slightly over a day, but felt like it had been forever. Amon, the leader of the equalist movement to cleanse all benders of their impurities, had taken his bending away and then locked him in here. As if that were not enough, Tarrlok soon learned that Amon had been his estranged brother all along. He vaguely remembered a visit from the Avatar and her friends while he was in this cell. They asked him a few questions, listened to his story, and left.

Tarrlok was dazed and weak. His once impeccably groomed hair fell in disheveled locks around his face. He willed himself to pull droplets out of the air, but he could no longer feel his element. A river that used to flow inside him had evaporated. He would have cried but that water had dried up too. Occasionally, his despondency would be interrupted by fleeting memories of Amon, grown-up Noatak, Korra, young Noatak, and the equalist task force. Tarrlok wondered if he would lose his mind in this cell.

His dejection was punctured by the sound of footsteps and the attic door being unlatched. He heard a man's low voice and did not look up, assuming it to be Noatak. But he heard another man's voice, this time younger, and then another's, decidedly more chirpy. Then came a woman's voice he knew, gruff and hard, and another voice he recently became acquainted with, silky and refined, all talking together in low tones. But it was the final voice that made him look up.

Standing in front of him right now were Councilman Tenzin, Mako, Bolin, Police Chief Beifong, Asami, and Avatar Korra. They gathered in front of his cell. With a flick of her wrist through the air, Chief Beifong sliced the iron bars clean open.

"Are you alright, Tarrlok?" Beifong asked brusquely. "Can you stand?"

Tarrlok slowly got to his feet. "I don't suppose you're all here to rescue me."

"Ehhh," Bolin shrugged. Tarrlok never understood Bolin's role in anything.

Beifong stepped forward. "Amon's cover has been blown. The public has discovered that he's a bloodbender, and Team Avatar just informed us that he's your brother. Noatak is now on the run."

"So his revolution failed."

"For now," said Tarrlok's former colleague Tenzin. "There are still equalists causing trouble in the streets, but the movement has been severely discredited. We have to capture Noatak and bring him to justice. We need your help."

"I would gladly be of service, but I don't see how," said Tarrlok. "In case Team Avatar didn't inform you, he took my bending."

The group exchanged a quick look among themselves.

Tenzin furrowed his brow. "Tarrlok, what you did at City Hall was not only unconscionable, it was criminal. Bloodbending is a heinous practice that has been outlawed for a reason."

"Like I said," Tarrlok said wryly, "it won't happen again."

Beifong glared at him. "If you ever bloodbend again, the penalties will be severe. You will be put away for _life_."

Tarrlok gritted his teeth. "Is this some kind of joke? Are you mocking me?"

"He took away my bending too," Beifong replied quietly.

Korra walked towards Tarrlok. "And mine."

Tarrlok turned to the Avatar in surprise. It was the first time she had spoken to him since they arrived. Korra stood close to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "We need you on this mission. He's your brother and you know him. Besides," she said as she moved one hand to his forehead while placing her thumb in the centre of his brow, "you're not so half-baked a water bender yourself."

Korra gazed into Tarrlok's eyes with an unfathomable expression. Tarrlok looked right back into hers. All of a sudden the air stood still, and everything fell silent. After a heartbeat that seemed like a lifetime, the air around their feet started to move round them in a circle, and soon the two were enveloped in a rush of swirling wind. As he stood face-to-face with her in the eye of the vortex and looked into her ocean blue eyes, he watched her change. Something luminous swelled within her until she burst with light, her eyes shining a brilliant white. She had entered the Avatar state. But before he could properly take in her transfiguration, a jolt of energy shot into him and obliterated his senses with a flash of cool, pure brightness. The force nearly knocked him to the ground. However, when he caught his breath, he was standing taller and stronger than he ever had in his entire life.

"Avatar Korra, what…what did you do?"

"Tarrlok, think fast!"

Tarrlok whipped around and barely registered Mako's voice when he saw an arc of water flying toward him. Mako had opened a skin of water and flung the contents at the former councilman. Tarrlok shot out his arm and caught the water in mid air. He held it steady for a moment, marveling at his regained powers. He froze the water into shards of ice. Then he melted the shards into liquid again and slowly pulled the orb of water towards himself. Tremendous energy flowed between his body and the water hovering between his hands; the river was coursing again.

However, before Tarrlok could fully take in his transformation, he was interrupted by a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down in confusion. Blood streamed down the front of his tunic. Korra quickly drew the water from his hands and placed it over his wound to heal it.

Beifong's snarl snapped him back to reality. "I've implanted a Radio Tracking Disc right above your heart. We'll be monitoring your location at all times. Don't even think about going rogue on this mission. This disc also functions an exploding device, and Korra has both the clearance and the ability to detonate it."

Korra's shook her head vehemently. "I don't want to detonate—"

"We've received intelligence that Noatak is headed alone towards Yu Dao, the former Fire Nation colony in the western Earth Kingdom," Chief Beifong cut off the obviously distressed Avatar. "He took an ostrich-horse, which should be easy to catch up with given the right equipment."

"Korra and Tarrlok, your mission is to find Noatak and neutralize him. The Avatar the only other person in the world who can take a person's bending away. But you two must work together because he is extremely dangerous. Tarrlok, you must be shaken from your recent defeat, but Noatak had the element of surprise—"

"I'm ready for a rematch with my brother."

"Good," the Chief nodded. "A special team will be following you from a safe distance. After you have neutralized Noatak, radio the team and he will be arrested and brought back to Republic City to face justice."

Chief Beifong then nodded toward Tenzin. The Master Air Bender cleared his throat.

"Tarrlok, the council is determined that you, too, shall face justice for kidnapping the Avatar and bloodbending so many people at City Hall. However, in return for your cooperation on this mission, the council is willing to consider drastically reducing your charges. We can negotiate the details upon your return."

Tarrlok lowered his head and sighed. "Fair enough."

Asami, who had been standing quietly next to Korra all this while, spoke. "I'll give the both of you a ride back to Republic City tonight. It's now 7 in the evening. Pack your bags and get some rest. At midnight, you'll leave for Yu Dao in Future Industries' All-Terrain Sato Mobile. You'll be able to catch up to that ostrich-horse in no time."

She then turned to Korra and held her friend's hand. "I'm sorry you can't bring Naga, but she can't take the both of you and it will be hard to find food for her in the desert. This Sato Mobile is special, it runs on water." Korra squeezed her hand back.

"Well alright then!" Bolin burst the heavy atmosphere with an excited clap and a large grin. "The Avatar and evil-former-councilman Tarrlok will go on a hunt for his even-eviller brother, while the rest of us will stay behind and clean up the equalist mess.

"Hey," Bolin turned to Tarrlok, "isn't it ironic how you once wanted Korra on _your_ task force to capture Amon, but now _you're_ on _her_ task force to capture him and now it turns out that he's your brother Noatak?"

"Shut up, Bolin," Mako punched his younger brother in the arm and shuffled him out. The rest followed suit.

Tarrlok was the last to leave. As everyone else filed out of the attic, he put his hand over the part of his chest where the Radio Tracking Disc had been implanted. The entry wound was slightly raw but otherwise healed. If he stood very still, he could feel it buzzing gently.


	2. Road to Yu Dao

Korra and Tarrlok left Republic City at midnight. Even if all went smoothly, Yu Dao was a grueling four days' journey away. They would make a stopover at Jin Chen, a town for weary travelers.

Before they left, Asami presented them with their vehicle for the mission. It was an imposing but funny-looking contraption. It was almost like a regular Sato Mobile, but the carriage was perched high above the ground on four large, thick wheels, like a stout turtle-spider. Asami told them that the vehicle was capable of manouevring through sand, rock, mud, and even shallow streams—conditions that would wreck any other ordinary mobile. The wheels could even be retracted to transform the vehicle into a speedboat. Best of all, it was fueled by water, which played to the duo's strengths as water benders. This was Future Industries' All-Terrain Sato Mobile, so named because it could navigate all terrains. Korra and Tarrlok would need all the help they could get: they had to travel across harsh desert conditions to reach Yu Dao.

Korra was excited by the vehicle. She and Tarrlok would take turns driving, and Korra would take the first shift. It was just as well they didn't take Naga, she thought. Tarrlok had packed three suitcases containing a collection of silk tunics, various hairbrushes, and assorted lotions. Naga could not have been expected to carry all of Tarrlok's vanity equipment. It looked like he was going to be a high maintenance traveling partner. Korra, on the other hand, had all her essentials in a haversack that she chucked in the back seat.

And so Korra drove through the desert while Tarrlok leaned away from her and drifted off. The sweet scent of white desert blooms wafted by them. The moon cast a silver glow on the crests of the dunes around them, and illuminated the white flowers under the star strewn sky. Korra thoughtfully absorbed the beautiful desert landscape, but stole a sidelong glance at Tarrlok from time to time. The man trying to sleep beside her was so different from the one who had only recently bloodbended and kidnapped her. Tarrlok was no longer dressed in his sophisticated councilman robes, which were styled after the ceremonial dress of the Northern Water Tribe. Instead, he wore the simple tunic of a Water Tribe hunter, and had gathered his hair into a single ponytail. With his eyes closed and loose strands of hair about his face, he also seemed less smug. His eyes were no longer narrowed in calculation; his lips no longer curled into a conspiratorial sneer. Tarrlok seemed like any other Water Tribesman her father might have gone on a hunting trip with.

But he was no ordinary Water Tribesman. Memories of the previous days flashed into Korra's mind.

 _Her whole body seized up like it was going through rigor mortis. Something inside her was pulling on her sinews, prying bone from bone. She wrested back control of her lungs and breathed in, breathed out. Her eyes darted to the side and saw that her hand was twisted into a claw. She looked in front again and saw him glowering at her._

 _"You're…you're a bloodbender?"_

 _"Very observant." His voice was low and menacing._

 _"It's—it's not a full moon! How—how are you doing this?"_

 _"There are a lot of things you don't know about me," he snarled._

Korra's heart was racing and she felt sick. Her knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. _What else didn't she know about him?_ Korra spent the night cycling through dark conjectures in her mind, which filled her alternately with hatred and dread. She stayed calm by practicing the breathing exercises Tenzin taught her, and by reminding herself—though she was not proud of herself for taking comfort from this—that she had control over the exploding disc inside his chest.

 _He won't try to hurt me again_. _His reputation depends on this mission and besides, he owes me,_ Korra repeated to herself.

Eventually, night faded into light, and Tarrlok stirred. He took a sip of water and gazed pensively out the window.

"So," Korra said more aggressively than she intended, "what are you gonna do once we've captured Noatak and you're back in Republic City? Run for council again? Say this was all your idea and have a statue made of yourself?"

Tarrlok was unfazed. "I'll make plans _after_ the mission has succeeded. As for statues—" a little smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth—"I personally find them vulgar, but I don't expect you to agree. Aren't there hundreds of Avatar statues in some temple?"

"Yeah, well," Korra's eyes flashed as she tried to think of an Avatar-worthy comeback, "I deserve them!"

Tarrlok's tiny sneer grew into a full blown smirk. This person was more transparent than most jellyfish.

Suddenly, however, he stopped smirking and whipped around to scan their environment.

"What?" Korra demanded.

"Shhh." Tarrlok listened intently.

"What is it?" she hissed under her breath.

"I thought I heard something," Tarrlok frowned. "We're being followed."

"We _are_ being followed. Beifong sent a team to shadow us, remember? They're out there somewhere."

Tarrlok leaned back in his seat but remained alert.

Korra yawned. "Look, Tarrlok. I've been driving all night. It's your turn soon. But first, why don't we stop somewhere and make breakfast. I know a cool outdoor recipe you'll love."

Before Tarrlok could respond, Korra swerved to a stop in the shade of a large dune. She jumped out of the mobile and stretched. "I'll hunt some small game and make a fire. You can pull us some water out of the air to drink and refill the fuel tank."

Tarrlok was doubtful. Nothing but vast tracts of sand lay ahead of them; there was no life in sight. Nonetheless, Korra brimmed with confidence and seemed she had been in a situation like this before (she hadn't). Right after she dashed off into the sandy horizon, pursuing a target visible only to herself, Tarrlok hopped out of the mobile and reached his arms palms-up in front of him, feeling for the moisture in the parched desert air. The air was thin and barren, but through his fingertips he detected a veil of humidity. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, savoring the subtle dance of water molecules around his skin. He owed her for giving him his bending back.

In one fluid motion, he drew the moisture from the air around him, first into a dome of little droplets, and then and then into an airborne rivulet which he guided into the fuel tank of the All-Terrain Sato Mobile. He then retrieved the sheet and utensils from the trunk and laid them out as neatly as he could on the sand. He tipped the dirt out of the cups and bowls, and polished the dusty chopsticks against his tunic. Tarrlok was in the middle of filling up two drinking glasses when a rosy-cheeked Korra came bounding back from her expedition.

"Breakfast is served, you're welcome!" she panted and triumphantly held up her prize: a large, beige coloured lizard whose head hung limply at an awkward angle. "It took a while but I eventually caught this big guy and broke its neck. Sorry, buddy," she patted its scaly ribcage.

Tarrlok curled his lips. "I did not sign up for lizard meat."

"Quit whining." Korra tossed the limp carcass onto the ground sheet Tarrlok had carefully laid out, and proceeded to build a spitfire with their camping equipment. She then skewered the lizard, produced a small jet of flames from her fingertips, and roasted her catch. Tarrlok watched in fascination and disgust.

"I learned how to catch and roast small game from a friend I met when I first landed in Republic City," Korra explained cheerfully.

"Was your friend a hobo?" Tarrlok asked as he eyed the charring creature.

"Why are you so prissy?" she shot back.

"Just because we're in the desert, doesn't mean we have to be barbarians."

A strange and unpleasant smell of barbecued meat filled the air. Soon, the lizard's trunk turned a muddy brown and its toes charred into brittle curls.

"Done!" Korra announced, pleased with herself. There was nothing like roughing it in the wild. She tore the lizard straight down the centre and tossed one half to Tarrlok. Taking her own half, she chomped into a crisp reptilian thigh and chewed heartily. Not great, but not bad.

"Mmm, lizard-y," she commented through a mouthful of meat, stretching her legs across the groundsheet.

Tarrlok was silent. He sat cross legged across her. He chewed slowly, a pained look in his eyes.

Korra stopped and swallowed. He looked genuinely unhappy, taking only small, hesitant bites of his charred lizard. Suddenly Korra felt bad for him. She had spent the whole night fuming about what Tarrlok had done to her, but only now started to consider how difficult the past few days must have been on him. In a matter of hours, he had seen his career unravel, lost his bending, and found out that the monster who did this to him was in fact his own long lost brother. _Poor Tarrlok,_ she thought. _He must be thinking about his brother_.

"Hey Tarrlok?" she said softly.

"Huh?" Tarrlok looked up, startled.

"I'm really sorry about what happened with—you know, your brother. You look really upset right now."

"Oh, right, Noatak. _So_ upset." As he swallowed a bolus of lizard-meat, he thought he felt a scale graze his throat. A small tear welled at the corner of his eye. He grabbed his cup and quickly washed down his meal.

"I think that's all the breakfast I need. We'll reach our stopover town by this evening anyway." Fortunately, he had the foresight to pack some apples for the journey.

"Hey, I don't wanna pry," Korra said. "But since we're stuck together for the next few days, if you wanna talk about anything that's bothering you…"

Tarrlok heaved a sigh as he cleaned his hands on a clean handkerchief. Actually, he _was_ bothered about something.

"My brother ran away when he was fourteen. I stayed the course and rose to the top. I thought I was better than him, but now I guess not."

"Yeah, well. People make mistakes," Korra offered blandly. She really didn't know what to say about his extremely complicated family situation.

"I can't figure out the exact point at which it all went wrong, but I suppose the moment I put you in a box was as good a turning point as any. I'm…deeply sorry about that, Avatar."

"Hey, not like you could keep me in there," she shrugged. "Anyway, what were you planning to do once you escaped with me as your prisoner?"

Tarrlok shifted sheepishly. "I didn't have a plan. I was desperate and not thinking clearly. But as luck would have it," he brushed an imaginary speck of dust off his shoulder, " _I'm_ your hostage now."

"You're not my hostage," Korra insisted. "We're partners on a mission."

"Not with this inside me," he pointed to the Disc in his chest.

"Come on, Tarrlok, you know I'm not gonna explode you," she said in exasperation. "Besides—" she couldn't resist a jibe at the bloodbender—"taking people down from inside their bodies, that's just not my style."

Tarrlok took the insult in his stride. "The point is, I've been tagged like an animal, and I deserve it."

"Hey," Korra softened and put her hand on his warm forearm, "for what it's worth you don't have to worry about it going off. Ever."

Tarrlok paused for a moment to appreciate her gesture. They smiled tentatively at each other. He picked up the remainder of the lizard he had earlier set down and held it up to her. "Would you mind searing this just a little more for me? It's just a _tad_ raw."

"Sure!", she obliged. She grabbed the chunk from him, tossed it in the air, and torched it.

Tarrlok tucked into his hot lizard, more appreciatively this time.

He glanced around and frowned. They were still being followed.


	3. Trouble in Jin Cheng

Jin Cheng was a small and sleepy town in the middle of the desert, although it was popular with travelers because it had piped water and several nice pools. The town's main economic activity was serving passersby and as such comprised mostly inns, eateries, and troughs of water for animals. It was a serene little oasis.

A tired Korra and Tarrlok pulled up at the city gates an hour before sun down. Their plan was to spend the night here before continuing on the road to Yu Dao, where Noatak had reportedly fled. The two were looking forward to a hot (non-lizard) meal and a proper night's rest.

* * *

"What do you mean you're out of rooms?" Korra exclaimed as she brought a fist down on the countertop.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down," said the manager at the reception, a balding, middle aged man who looked like he would rather be elsewhere than the stuffy lobby of a four-story holiday inn. "We have reservations for tomorrow by a traveling circus but there's a chance they'll arrive today. They're our regular customers, and we don't want to compromise them in any way. There are other inns—"

"They're filled with _actual_ guests," Korra's volume was rising. "This is the last inn in town, and you're telling me that you're saving your empty rooms for a circus—"

"Ma'am, please, I know you must have important business…"

"Important business?" Korra was getting louder. "You have no idea who we are—"

"Sakari, please," Tarrlok interjected. He put his arm around Korra and gently but firmly moved her aside.

Korra was confused. "What—"

"You'll have to excuse my intern," Tarrlok ignored her and spoke directly to the manager. Korra was taken aback. Tarrlok had shifted into councilman-mode, inveigling in his smooth, crisp voice. "I apologize for her behavior. Sakari and I been traveling for days, and we're headed to a conference on healing technologies in Republic City."

"You'd best teach your intern some manners," said the manager, miffed at "Sakari's" outburst but also mollified by her mentor's apology, "or I assure you, your conference will not go well."

"I have been remiss," Tarrlok placed his hand over his heart and bowed his head in contrition. Then he turned to Korra with a stern frown and sharply flicked her ear.

"Oww!" she hissed and glared at him.

Tarrlok paid her no attention. "This young lady clearly needs more discipline," he said to the manager.

Korra was ready to obliterate the entire inn with several elements at once, but she was also fascinated by Tarrlok's expert performance. It seemed to be working on the manager.

Tarrlok continued in his lilting, persuasive voice. "Sir, I understand your concerns. A businessman such as yourself, in a town whose population is largely transient, needs to prioritize his regular customers."

The manager grunted.

"But as you can see, it is nearly sundown. If the circus-folk haven't arrived yet, they are probably performing a night-show and won't be here till tomorrow."

The manager stroked his chin.

Tarrlok meaningfully retrieved large bag of coins from his waistband. "We would never impose, but I am willing to compensate you over the market rates for any rooms you could spare. The two of us will leave by dawn. We want to be on our way soon."

The manager made a show of weighing his options. He harrumphed and flipped through his large notebook, scrutinizing the empty pages for any concessions he could make to the unusual duo. "Alright," he finally said with a grand wave of his hand, "we have two rooms available on the fourth floor. That will be a fifty yuan deposit."

* * *

"That was pretty impressive, Tarrlok," Korra munched on her grilled meat-on-a-stick as they strolled through the town square. "I can't believe you got us not one, but _two_ rooms!"

"Gee, Avatar, it's almost as if my job involved communicating with people on a regular basis to find solutions," he smirked, munching on his own grilled snack. "Did you think I bloodbended people all day?"

"What? Of—of course not!" (She did.)

"I'm joking." He smiled a rare, genuine, no-strings-attached smile and touched her earlobe gently with his fingertip. "Sorry about your ear back there. It was just for show."

"Uh, it's cool." Korra gruffly cleared her throat and turned away, hoping he would not see that she was blushing.

"So what's so special about Yu Dao that Noatak is headed there?"

"I once visited Yu Dao on a diplomatic mission," he mused.

 _Just a few days ago I was important enough to be sent on diplomatic missions._

"The Fire and Earth nationals in Yu Dao have created a hybrid culture unlike anything else on earth.

"Yu Dao welcomes people from all nations, benders and non-benders alike. It's not unlike Republic City in this regard, but from what I recall, non-benders have a much higher status in Yu Dao than they do in many other cities or nations.

"And because of the important role that non-benders play in their society, Yu Dao is also well known for its advanced technologies that level the playing field between benders and non-benders. Technologies that equalize them, you might say."

Korra thought about this. "I think non-benders have just as much status as benders everywhere else in the world. Many of Republic City's best business people and leaders are non-benders."

"But those are exceptions," Tarrlok said. "I do see where Amon—I mean Noatak—was coming from. Non-benders don't enjoy many of the privileges we take for granted. The equalist movement was actually a long time in the making."

They walked in silence for a moment. "What I'd like to know", he continued, "is why Noatak of all people would lead an equalist movement."

"What _I'd_ like to know," Korra shot back, "is why _you_ would lead a task force against the equalist revolution if you sympathized with them so much."

This was the first time anyone had actually confronted Tarrlok about his beliefs on the matter. People usually assumed that he acted purely out of self interest, which was not completely true. "I'm not against change and equality," he explained. "I'm against violent movements that change society too rapidly. In times of upheaval, the vulnerable suffer first. And those invariably turn out to be the non-benders."

"So," Korra tossed her empty sticks in a bin and rubbed her chin, "you think a non-bender revolution would actually hurt non-benders?"

"That's a simple way of putting it, but yes."

"They have their electric glove things," Korra retorted, remembering how she barely escaped being electrocuted herself.

"That sort of special equipment was reserved for a select group of non-benders in Amon's—Noatak's inner circle. Those things were expensive."

These were disturbing thoughts that Korra had never considered. Her simple understandings of social relationships—strong and weak, aggressor and victim, bender and non-bender—were being challenged. She wasn't sure if she liked it.

Any philosophical contemplation on her part would have to wait. Tarrlok stopped abruptly in his tracks and put his hand on her shoulder. Suddenly they were both aware of how dark it was. In the course of their conversation, they had lost track of time. The sun had long set, and they found themselves in a deserted garden with tall trees looming all around them. Moonlight seeped through the leaves and mottled the ground, creating a perfect camouflage for shadowy assailants.

"We're surrounded," he said.

There was no one in sight, but this time Korra believed him. She jumped into her fighting stance, feet apart and fists up. As a waterbending master who could always sense water nearby even without seeing it, Tarrlok drew all the liquid from the trough behind them and made an orbiting ring around Korra and himself.

They kept as still as a pair of praying mantises and waited for their enemies to show themselves.

Something twitched in the branches above. Korra punched a flame into the darkness and shouted, "Show yourselves, you cowards!"

Nothing. A gentle breeze grazed the canopy above. The leaves tremored. The anticipation was unbearable, but the two stayed motionless.

Suddenly, the sound of a breaking branch made them spin to the side, and a figure swathed in black burst forth from the shadows and landed on the ground. Tarrlok froze the ribbon of water into thousands of ice daggers and hurled them at the cloaked figure. He deftly blocked and ducked most of them. A red-hot burst of light flashed across the garden; Korra had ignited balls of flames at each fist and was now charging toward their assailant.

Calmly, the figure stood his ground. Korra leapt into the air and was a few feet away from torching him. Tarrlok had retrieved the missed daggers, liquified them into a water whip, and was also charging towards their attacker. This would be an easy kill. But in the fraction of a second before they were about to obliterate him, he raised his hands and froze Korra and Tarrlok in their tracks. They crumpled to their knees. Tarrlok's water whip fell like rain onto the ground, and Korra's fire died in the darkness.

She clenched her fists to light it again. That was when she encountered the same feeling of resistance within her own body that she had only recently experienced before. Every muscle had contracted in an excruciating cramp, locking her whole body in place. Even her lungs were paralyzed—it took all her willpower to force them to expand and contract. She looked sideways to Tarrlok; it was happening to him too. They were being bloodbended.

"It's over." The cloaked figure walked slowly and menacingly towards the two of them, his voice low and dangerous. Like a puppet master, he twisted invisible strings in the air and forced them to their feet, side by side.

"Who…are…you?" Tarrlok demanded in a strained voice.

Meanwhile, more assailants revealed themselves, leaping down from the branches where they had been hiding all this while. Korra counted them with a knot of dread in her stomach: one, two, three, four. They were all cloaked in black and wearing goggles, with nunchucks at their sides and electric gloves on their hands. The masked team swiftly encircled Korra and Tarrlok.

"Y..you're…equalists!" she groaned in pain. A susurrus of laughter went round the group.

"But you're…" Korra turned to the lead assailant and paused to force another breath into her lungs, "you're a bloodbender. Why—"

"Why is a bender like me an equalist?" He said. "There are a few of us, Avatar. We believe in the movement. But unlike _you_ and your councilman friend, we use our abilities to bring equality, not oppression."

Tarrlok closed his eyes and took measured breaths. With some effort, he could force some movement into the muscles in his neck, arms, legs and toes. This particular bloodbender was not very powerful.

"The revolution isn't over, my friends," the lead assailant said. "We will finish what Amon started, and the Avatar is coming back to Republic City with us."

With that, the circle of equalists closed in on them. Tarrlok remained calm and continued to slowly push back against the bloodbender's grip, which he had already loosened somewhat.

Right beside him, a paralyzed and powerless Korra watched as someone extended a gloved hand out to electrocute her. Her heart pounding in desperation, she knew she had to call on a higher power. She closed her eyes and entered the void, and found her guiding light. When her eyes flew open, they shone an incandescent white. She broke the bloodbender's grip like brittle twine, and with a furious gale emanating from the epicenter of her body, blasted everyone away from her in all directions.

Tarrlok rebounded immediately. He lassoed two gloved-assailants with a water whip and flung them into a large tree trunk, knocking them out immediately. The other two non-benders sprinted at him from behind and punched at his sides. He was immediately winded; somewhat like how he felt when Amon took his bending. He had been chi-blocked. Tarrlok was not deterred. He whipped around and grabbed an assailant's arm, fastened him in an armlock and slammed him onto the ground where he landed with a sickening thud. Another gloved hand shot out towards him from the side. Tarrlok seized the attacker's arm, swung him face first into another large trunk, and then threw him down. By this time, however, the first attacker had recovered and was coming at him again, while more gloved assailants descended upon him.

While Tarrlok was fending off the non-benders, Avatar Korra loomed terrifyingly towards the bloodbending equalist. As she levitated on a hurricane, orbited by rings of fire, earth, and ice, her eyes shone with the bright light of judgement. Her attacker fell backwards in terror. He raised his arms to bend her again, but she was impenetrable.

When she spoke, she spoke with the voice of the thousand Avatars. "You will no longer use your abilities to sow fear and violence. I will take your bending away forever."

Before he could react, Avatar Korra shot a tent of earth around him, riveting him to the ground. Then she landed before him and placed her hand on his forehead. He was hypnotized. In the next few moments, her light flowed into him and his eyes shone the same brilliant white as hers. But when the deed was done, he went limp, his bending extinguished forever.

Avatar Korra stepped back from the man she had just disabled, her eyes shining brightly as before. A thousand generations of Avatars serenely noted and accepted what had been done. Korra began to return to the present, as the past lives she had called upon gently receded back into herself.

Before she exited the Avatar state completely, however, she was struck by a tremendous jolt of electricity. One of the other equalists had abandoned Tarrlok for a bigger prize, and tackled Korra to the ground with his gloved hand clamped like a vise around her neck. Korra screamed. A terrible heat seared through her body and forced her into reckless spasms; her heart seized with uncontrollable tremors. Soon after, another assailant descended upon her to send more lightning into her body, then another, and another. The spasms intensified unbearably. She heard faraway voice calling her name, and saw a faint vision of Tarrlok running closer and pulling the assailants off her one by one.

It was too late. When an Avatar dies in the Avatar state, all her past lives are obliterated and the Avatar cycle comes to an end. Korra was close to death. She saw her entire lineage of past lives laid out in perfect order, the rhythms and principles of the universe made manifest in the cycle of her life. Earth. Fire. Air. Water. Male and female. One by one, her past lives vanished. Aang. Roku. Kiyoshi. Many more she only knew in spirit, but not by name—the lights went out in turn. Eventually she was face to face with the first Avatar, Wan. They looked at each other for a moment, then everything went blank.

 _Lub-dub._

Nothing.

 _Lub-dub._

Still nothing.

A few more heartbeats, and a sharp pain jolted Korra back into existence. Her eyes were closed but she knew she was back in the garden, the scene of the fight before she died. Something was reaching into her flesh and blood, forcing her heart to beat against its will. It wouldn't stop.

Suddenly, Korra's lungs burst back into action and she emitted a huge gasp. Her eyes flew open and her senses gradually came back into focus. Tarrlok's worried face hovered above her; he was cradling her in his arms with his hand over her heart. As soon as she revived, he quickly moved his hand.

"Korra?" he said in a soft voice edged with panic. "You're alive!"

He had just bloodbended her back to life.


	4. The Truth About Bloodbending

**_[Author's note: I'd like to thank the reviewer(s) who commented on my previous chapters. I'm sorry I can't respond directly to them, but your interest and feedback means a lot to me. I wasn't even sure if anyone would want to read this! Please follow me to find out what happens next!]_**

Sunlight streamed through the gauzy curtains of Korra's room at the inn. _Yu Dao! They had to be there as soon as possible!_ She blinked hard and forced herself to sit upright. But when a sharp pain shot through her chest, she groaned and collapsed back into bed.

"Easy!" Tarrlok appeared out of nowhere and helped her back into a comfortable position. He awkwardly draped the blanket back over her shoulders, careful not to touch her. "You nearly died last night, along with the entire Avatar Cycle. A little recuperation is in order."

"What happened last night?" Korra asked weakly, embarrassed that Tarrlok was in her room and taking care of her.

"We were ambushed by equalists," he replied matter-of-factly. "They came to capture you and bring you back to Republic City." He then walked over to the small stove in the corner of the room, took a teapot off the fire and poured a dark liquid into a teacup. He then walked back to her and sat on a stool beside her bed.

"Drink this," he ordered.

Korra inhaled the steaming concoction and was nearly sick. "Ugh! It's disgusting!" she grimaced and shoved the teacup back into his hands.

"You need this medicine for your internal injuries, and to strengthen you for the journey ahead," he said flatly.

She took the cup and lifted it to her lips, glaring petulantly at an unmoved Tarrlok. She resented being grounded by her injuries, and more immediately now by Tarrlok. As she continued to glower at her unlikely caretaker, however, she started to notice things about him that she hadn't before. Stripped of his usual artifices, it was clear that Tarrlok was a classically handsome Water Tribesman. He was powerfully built with large, broad shoulders, a muscular physique, and warm brown skin. His features were clean and chiseled with a strong brow and angular jaw, and his eyes were deep and blue as the ocean. Right now, his blue eyes watched her sternly while his arms were folded across his chest.

"I thought we were only supposed to be here for one night," she said, trying to distract him from the matter of her repulsive medicine.

"We were the centre of _quite_ a commotion last night. Our cover is blown, but the inn manager supports our mission. He's letting us stay here as long as we need."

"But what about the circus?"

"I talked the manager into a solution," Tarrlok said. And there it was: that cocky old smirk had returned.

But this time Korra didn't mind. "You really _are_ a politician," she grinned.

"Thank you."

Korra set her now empty cup on the bedside table. "You know what would help me even more than this medicine?"

"What?"

"If you find me a pool or tub of water to soak in, I could heal myself."

"Good idea," he agreed. "I'll ask around."

* * *

Later that afternoon, after making the necessary inquiries and twisting the necessary arms, Tarrlok escorted Korra down to the small outdoor private pool at the inn, which was fenced off from prying eyes by a ring of beautiful foliage. It was normally for VIP guests but today the manager made an exception for her. He agreed that it was important for the Avatar to heal herself and continue on her mission.

Korra stripped down to her camisole and undershorts while Tarrlok helped her into the water and pointedly looked away. He then settled into a lounge chair by the pool and read a newspaper.

"You don't have to be here, you know," she said out to him.

"I don't exactly have other errands on this mission," he turned a page and replied without glancing up.

"Whatever." Korra closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and charged the water with her energy. The pool began to glow a beautiful, ethereal blue, and if one listened carefully, sounded like it was singing in dulcet bell tones.

Korra let herself steep in the charged water for a few moments, feeling tiny ripples lap over her and soothe each of her tired muscles. Then she started to push a gentle current around the pool with her hands, harmonizing it with the flow of her _chi_ just like Katara had taught her.

Her mind turned over the events of the previous day. Although she was grateful to Tarrlok, she was still deeply troubled about the manner in which her life had been saved. Bloodbending was evil. It was dangerous and dishonorable. There were good reasons why it was illegal in Republic City and many other places in the world! Furthermore, Tarrlok was expressly forbidden from ever bloodbending again. Yet he used it to save her life and the entire Avatar cycle. Still, it was like getting rich off somebody's death—it didn't feel right.

The ethereal glow flickered and the currents in the pool faltered. Korra's turbulent thoughts were interfering with her healing routine. _What would Aang do?_ she thought miserably. Then she lit up. There was a way to find out.

"Hey Tarrlok!" she called out to her companion. He glanced up and raised an eyebrow, slightly irritated.

"I need to meditate into the spirit world for, um, Avatar stuff," she said. "Can you keep my body safe while I'm gone?"

"No, Avatar, I'm going to keep reading while they take you away."

She took that as a yes. "Don't let anyone move me," she instructed.

Korra sat up straight and tall in the shallow pool, closed her eyes, and cleared her mind. Soon, the physical world melted away, along with all its sights, sounds, and troubles. After what could either have been an eternity or a fraction of a second, Korra felt her consciousness materialize in a different place and time.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in an open meadow. The air was cool, the grass was green beneath her feet, and daylight shone from every corner despite the sun being nowhere in sight. Spirits with strange forms walked or floated past her; some regarded her curiously but most paid her no mind.

She rose to her feet. "Aang!", she called out, walking in no particular direction. "Aang!"

Soon, she heard a cheerful whistling in the distance. A man ambled towards her, arms swinging and a spring in his step. "Aang?" she cried happily, running towards him.

"Hello, Korra," he responded. But he wasn't Aang. He was a rotund, grey haired fire bender.

"General Iroh!" Korra exclaimed and bowed respectfully to him. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Looking for the previous Avatar?" he replied with a wide smile. "I wish I could invite you both to tea. He is, however, nowhere to be found today."

Iroh watched her face fall in disappointment. "What is bothering you?" he asked. "Perhaps I can offer some counsel, just as I used to do for Avatar Aang."

Korra looked down sadly. "I'm on a mission to capture an evil bloodbender who's been taking people's bending away."

"Ah, Noatak! Such a charismatic but troubled fellow."

Korra made a gagging noise in the back of her throat. "Yeah, well, the thing is—I'm traveling with his younger brother Tarrlok, whom I _thought_ also an evil bloodbender, but he just saved my life. With bloodbending."

"Mmmm," Iroh stroked his beard placidly.

"Don't you see?" Korra was growing agitated. "Bloodbending is immoral. And it's illegal! Tarrlok was banned from ever using it again. But he used it to _rescue_ me—"

"And you don't think it's right that you benefited from it," he smiled and continued stroking his beard. "Worse still, now you have doubts about the nature of bloodbending, and what this means for your mission."

"Right."

"You need some tea. Have a seat!" he laughed heartily and gestured behind her.

Korra turned around and saw a little table for two that had appeared from nowhere. As they sat down, Iroh poured two cups of tea from a lovely jade teapot. The tea was a deep, emerald green and smelled of fruit and flowers. She took a sip and a warm feeling spread all over her body.

"Iroh, this is delicious!"

The old general smiled. "This is a very special tea is made from the flowers of the coca-lily plant. It was famously used by Dai Li as a deadly but traceless poison."

Korra sprayed a mouthful of tea over the table.

Iroh chuckled and dabbed the spills with a large napkin. "Coca-lily is extremely poisonous when a particular compound is isolated and used in large quantities," he explained. "But when steeped in hot water, and drunk in moderation, coca-lily tea is not only delicious, but one of the most nourishing medicines on earth," he paused to refill her cup, "much better than that awful medicine your friend made you drink."

"So coca-lily is not a bad plant," she mused as she sipped the lovely emerald tea, "it depends on what people do with it."

"The line between a poison and a cure is often the dosage, or the intent," Iroh smiled wisely. "Drink up! This will restore you to perfect health. But you should probably stop at five cups. Ha!"

Korra chuckled obligingly. "So, what should I do about my bloodbending dilemma?"

"Go back to the foundations, Avatar Korra. Meditate upon the principles of the body and its relationship to water. Think objectively about how bloodbending works, and how it can be used for good."

Korra nodded and smiled at Iroh as he faded away, and the last thing she remembered of her trip to the spirit world was drinking one last sip of delicious coca-lily tea, and floating peacefully into the distance.

When Korra opened her eyes, she was back in the pool at the inn. Her strength had returned completely, thanks to Iroh's special tea. Instead of leaping back into action, however, she remained submerged to think through some difficult puzzles.

 _Go back to the foundations, Avatar Korra._

The foundations. Chi flows through meridians around the body, like currents in a pool. Korra created a thin ribbon of a current and charged it with energy, so that she could observe its bright blue glow against the surrounding waters as she arced it around the pool. Round and round she sent the current. Occasionally she stopped it, cleaved it into segments, and forged them back into a single current again; then round and round she sent the unbroken current again.

Korra was absorbed in her strange ritual. Like a thousand-piece puzzle, her thoughts slowly organized themselves into larger and clearer pictures. When the last piece fell into place, she spun towards Tarrlok.

"Tarrlok," she said quietly.

"Welcome back," he replied languidly. He was now on the "International Affairs" page.

"I've figured out how Noatak takes people's bending away…"

He looked up.

"…and how it's possible to restore it."

He put his paper down and paused. "How?" he asked.

"Bloodbending and healing are actually close cousins. Both camps understand the close connection between our bodies and water," she explained, pushing the glowing current round the pool.

"Traditionally, healers work on bodies from the outside in, although they also harmonize their actions with the body's different circulatory systems. Bloodbenders work from the inside out, but they focus their attention on the muscles. Is that right?"

"Yes," Tarrlok agreed. "The term 'bloodbending' is a misnomer, but somehow 'musclebending' doesn't have the same ring."

"Noatak used healing knowledge to locate benders' energy lines. Then he used bloodbending to _wrench_ cell from cell in the major chi lines"—she halted the circular current in the water and cleaved it into two halves—"effectively severing them."

"In my Avatar state, I didn't know how I restored your bending. But now I know: I reached into your body and moved the broken channels into position like a bloodbender-" as she said this, she joined the two glowing semicircles together again- "then I used a combination of healing and bloodbending to weld them back together from the inside."

There was a long silence after her explanation. Tarrlok stared incredulously at her, as nebulous connections started to form in his mind.

"What are you saying, Avatar?" he asked in a low voice.

Korra stopped the current, got out of the pool, and faced him squarely. "I'm saying that if we're going to stay safe and defeat Noatak, _you_ need to learn how to heal, and _I_ need to become a bloodbender."

 _Author's note: in my description of Tarrlok's appearance as a classically handsome Water Tribesman, I am paraphrasing lantur19's description of Tarrlok in the fanfic, "Strings". I am deeply indebted to lantur19's legendary work._


	5. Korra Learns Bloodbending

It was evening. After Korra had her revelation at the pool earlier that afternoon, Tarrlok immediately set about preparing a crash course for the Avatar in bloodbending. The two sat close together at a small table in Korra's room, hunched over sheets of anatomical drawings that Tarrlok had sketched. The kerosene lamp above them cast a sullen orange glow over the room. Korra stared at the worksheets in dismay. She hated studying from books and papers. But to Tarrlok's credit, he was an excellent artist and had beautiful, calligraphic handwriting.

"How are you going to learn in a few days what Noatak and I did after many years of brutal practice?" he sighed.

"Err…Avatar Powers?" she shrugged. Tarrlok frowned. "Aaaaand a great teacher," she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Better than my father, I hope," he replied grimly. "Unless you would enjoy spending hours in the snow while in a full body spasm."

"Uh, I would not." She was genuinely horrified. After all Tarrlok had been through, it was a marvel that he did not grow to be a sociopathic serial killer.

"The most crucial element of bloodbending is a solid grasp of human anatomy. Before we even _get_ to the meridians, you need to understand the musculoskeletal system. Have you memorized these charts?"

Korra groaned and flopped forehead-first onto the table, scattering the worksheets everywhere. He was even more joyless than Tenzin. "Yes, Tarrlok, I know them. I learned most of this from Katara, okay? Can I get some real practice now?"

His patience snapped. "Listen, Avatar. If you mess up, you could kill somebody," he said angrily. "Squeeze my heart just a little too long and I'm dead. You're not skilled enough to resuscitate me with bloodbending. It was a shot in the dark even for me."

"Okay, geez."

"You have no idea how lethal bloodbending can be."

Korra grew nervous. For the first time she understood the power that Tarrlok wielded over her life when he bloodbended her at City Hall. He could easily have killed her.

 _But he didn't._

Tarrlok saw her pained expression and softened. "Let's try something different. Put your hands here and try to move me, one muscle at a time. Okay? When you're better you can try it from a distance. Start with my arm."

Tarrlok pulled back his sleeve and placed his forearm palm down in front of her. Korra gulped and put both her hands on him. His mocha brown skin was incredibly warm. Her heart pounded.

"Alright," he said gently. "Don't do anything yet. Just concentrate and feel the water in my flesh."

Korra slowly ran her fingers up and down the length of his forearm. She turned his hand over so that his palm was facing upwards. With trembling fingers, she traced a path from his wrist to the crook of his elbow.

"Got it?", he asked softly.

Korra nodded excitedly. She felt the water inside him; the molecules coursing and vibrating along the contours of his muscle fibers. Why hadn't she tried this on her own before?

"Okay. What are you feeling?"

"Your flexor muscles. Each of them," she replied, trailing her finger from the thin skin on the inside of his elbow back to his wrist.

Tarrlok was impressed. "You can feel the boundaries of each muscle? Not bad for a beginner."

"Well, they are pretty defined," she said, and regretted it as soon as she said it.

Tarrlok paused for a moment and let her comment slide. "Alright, Avatar. Gently—and I cannot emphasize this enough— _gently_ bend the water in my muscles."

Korra steadied herself with a deep breath. Keeping both her palms on his forearm, she counted out loud to three, and pushed the water in his muscles. His arm instantly jerked inwards and up to his shoulder as his wrist curled inwards to form a claw. Tarrlok winced. _Ah, childhood_.

But Korra gasped and toppled backwards in amazement. She did it. She had just bloodbended Tarrlok. Her eyes shone in wonder as she gazed ecstatically at him.

"Well done. You didn't kill me," he patted her on the back. Against his better judgment, he enjoyed seeing her this happy. "This is a good start. We need to get you acquainted with the rest of my—the human musculoskeletal system."

"Don't worry," she said breathlessly. "I'll be careful. I'm gonna keep this chart right next to me the whole time so I know what I'm doing. And eventually…", she hesitated, "…eventually I'll need to get a feel for your heart and lungs so I know _not_ to touch them."

"Fair enough," he warily agreed.

"Okay, I'm gonna put more space around you. Don't move!" Without waiting for his reply, Korra grabbed his chair and pulled him towards the empty space near the bed. She sat down at the edge of the bed, facing him.

"Here goes," she grinned in a way that made Tarrlok gulp.

Neither spoke a word as Korra focused intently on Tarrlok's body, running her hands over him from part to part like a doctor inspecting a patient. For the next hour or so, Korra checked each different muscle and what movements it was responsible for. She also properly noticed for the first time how large and muscular he was, and the fact that his physique was better articulated than an anatomical chart in a textbook. The silence between them was punctuated only by the sound of their breathing, and the occasional groan if Korra contracted a muscle too hard. Korra's heart was racing and her head felt light. Little did she know that Tarrlok felt the same. For a clinical exercise, what they were doing felt extremely intimate. She was getting to know every part of him from the inside out. If they had nerves about anything other than the task at hand, however, neither acknowledged it.

Eventually, Korra finished acquainting herself with every muscle in Tarrlok's body, and had even managed to gingerly take hold of his heart and made it skip a beat. That was the last stop she made, and Tarrlok called it a day. The two stood up to stretch.

"Alright," Tarrlok announced as he reached his arms to the ceiling in a fluid motion, "I've had enough of playing specimen for the day. Are you game for a little close quarter, hand-to-hand combat before dinner?"

It was like asking a wolf if it was hungry. With a twinkle in her eye, Korra grinned and threw a fist toward his jaw. Swift as lighting, he blocked her punch and countered with another strike. She ducked and went for his abdomen with her knee. They bobbed and weaved, evaded and attacked, a flurry of playful ferocity.

Tarrlok was winning. He had backed her into a corner and was quickly closing in.

 _Not so fast_ , she thought. _Time for a taste of your own medicine._

She let Tarrlok move in. Then, when he was less than a foot away, she reached her hands in front of her, felt through the air for every single muscle in his body, and yanked him to the ground.

"Ack!" a yelp was cut off in his throat as his windpipe seized up. His muscles contracted in every direction and he convulsed to the floor. Korra squealed in delight, and clapped her hands with glee.

Tarrlok rolled onto his back and caught his breath. He smiled wanly up at her, strangely proud of his student. "What was _that_?"

"My first bloodbending fight move!", she punched the air excitedly.

He got up and brushed himself. "You bloodbend like a brute."

"It's my first time," she said defensively. "And bloodbending _is_ for brutes."

"You're wrong. Bloodbending is an extremely subtle art. Do you know what it takes to be a master bloodbender?" He tilted his head and smiled mysteriously.

"Uh…cruelty? Meanness? No offense." She was still flushed and elated from her little success.

"No," he said quietly. "It's sensitivity, and empathy. The ability to enter another person's body and feel what they're feeling."

"Well, that's kind of creepy."

"Observe."

He stood tall with his hands behind his back, and trained a cool gaze on her. A few seconds passed. Nothing. Then, slowly but surely, Korra bent her knees and and began to lower herself to the floor. She gasped. She wasn't doing this. She twitched and struggled, but was locked in a relentless embrace. Lower she went, till both her knees gently touched the ground. Her descent felt so natural that she couldn't tell if she was in control or not. It was like sleepwalking. When she looked down, she found to her horror that her hands were folded neatly across her lap. She didn't remember moving them there. She stared up at Tarrlok, mouth agape. He hadn't moved an inch.

"Still think this is for brutes?" he smirked.

Korra was dumbfounded, still in the same position he had placed her in.

"I'm not bending you any more," he said as he strode towards her, took both her hands and helped her to her feet. She couldn't tell when it had stopped.

Korra shook herself like a wet dog. "UGH!", she punched him in the arm. "That was creepy!"

"You wanted to learn bloodbending, Avatar," he smiled and draped his arm over her shoulder to guide her out the door. "Noodles?"

"Fine, but you're buying," she relented and slung an arm around his waist in turn. Arms around each other, they walked to town for dinner, joking and laughing like old friends.

* * *

It was also close to dinner time in Yu Dao. The sun nestled low in the sky and cast a hazy pink glow over the entire village. Children played in the yard as a middle aged woman with a large scar on her arm sprinkled a final handful of fennel into her stew. The fragrant aroma wafted out of her pot and around the neighborhood. Neighbors passed by her outdoor kitchen, exchanged pleasantries and complimented her cooking. She turned to the man seated on the ground beneath a nearby tree, his back to the trunk and one arm resting on a propped up knee. He observed the scene quietly, his face in the shade.

"Dinner is almost ready."

He nodded. "Are you sure you don't need my help?"

"Nonsense! You sit and back and relax. We're just happy that you're home safe." She stirred the pot and smiled. He said nothing.

Three young children bounded up to the mysterious man. They did not seem to be intimidated by him. "Uncle Amon!", they cried, and threw their arms around his strong shoulders.

He hugged each of them in turn. "Hey kids. Were you good when I was away?"

They nodded and trilled excitedly over each other, competing for his attention. "Yes!"

He led them to the dinner table, which was set with stew, rice, soup, and a large plate of vegetables.

"Why were you gone so long, Uncle Amon?" the youngest girl asked.

"More like, why are you _back_ so soon?" the oldest boy asked.

"Tell us all about your adventures!"

"Children, let Uncle Amon eat," their mother admonished. They protested for a bit before settling into an animated conversation among themselves. Noatak and Mrs Lee ate in meaningful silence. When the children were done, she sent them back inside, cleared the dishes, and poured her guest a hot cup of tea.

"What happened?" she asked quietly as she sat down beside him. Neighbors passing by nodded respectfully at Noatak.

"My abilities were revealed. That caused some confusion," he replied in a low, flat voice.

"It's…it's not over, is it?"

"No."

Mrs Lee put a small, tentative hand on his forearm. "Yu Dao understands your mission and supports you. You can stay here as long as you want."

"The entire police force of Republic City is after me."

"Let them come. They have no jurisdiction here," she said fiercely. "Republic City pretends to be a perfect little post-conflict society, but all they do is act like injustice doesn't exist. What did they do when Fire Nation bandits swept through this town?" her voice quivered with emotion.

"When I got this—" she touched the large, angry scar on her arm— "the pain was so bad I thought I was going to die. How horrible it must have been for Wai-Man. He died from his injuries…"

She buried her face in her hands and sobbed at the memory of her husband's slow, wretched death. Noatak silently took her hand. Mrs Lee sniffed and wiped her eyes, embarrassed. Then she smiled and pushed herself up. "Wait here," she said, and bustled back into the house.

A few moments later she was back with a sad smile on her face and a small wooden box in her hands. She set it in front of Noatak and opened it. Inside were several rows of fine cigars. "Here. These are your favorite. You deserve a little break." She placed a lighter in his hands. "Make yourself at home," she whispered and retreated, leaving him at his quiet spot under the pale moonlight.

* * *

At the crowded noodle house, Korra and Tarrlok sat at a table so small and cramped that their knees pressed against each others'. Tarrlok was amused but slightly horrified at Korra's table manners. She crossed her chopsticks, nearly knocked over a few bowls, and stuffed too much food into her mouth at once. Nonetheless, there was something endearing about her carelessness. At least she didn't chew with her mouth open.

"Your ramen looks good. Can I have some?" the hungry Avatar asked. Without waiting for a reply, she snatched a slice of pork from his bowl and shoveled it into her ravenous maw.

"Please, help yourself," he replied dryly.

"Here, try some of my egg roll." She plonked a roll into his bowl in exchange, and smiled sweetly. The way she smiled at him brought back memories of their first meeting on Air Temple Island.

 _Tenzin was in the middle of reciting a Dinner Thanksgiving, his family and Korra gathered all around him. Perfect—Air Folk never turned away a hungry guest. Tenzin was predictably flustered by Tarrlok's unannounced appearance. The Airbender was so easily provoked and fun to tease._

 _Tarrlok came with one thing on his mind: to recruit the Avatar to join his Anti-Equalist Taskforce. He had been following her activities closely in the news ever since her arrival at Republic City. The truth was, Tarrlok was an excellent bender and and the commander of a highly competent team. He didn't need the Avatar, but knew she would be a coup for his public image._

 _When he walked into the room and saw her, she took his breath away. The news reports had not captured a fraction of her charisma. She had the lean and powerful build of a fighter, but her face brimmed with optimism and a genuine love for life. Her eyes were large and blue as the open sky. After seeing her in person, he started to wonder if she could be another kind of prize._

 _She greeted him and smiled shyly, sneaking admiring sidelong glances at him. She was probably flattered that an influential councilman was taking such an interest in her. He recognized and seized upon this, and laid out his spiel. When she turned him down it only galvanized his interest. Eventually, he succeeded, and or a while they were a great team._

"Tarrlok?"

 _Where did it go wrong?_

"Tarrlok!"

"What?" he snapped out of his reverie and looked around in confusion.

"You were spacing out and looking at me funny," she squinted suspiciously at him. "Also, the check is here."

Embarrassed and hoping he had not given himself away, Tarrlok quickly paid for their meal and the two got up to leave. They made their way back to the inn together under the cool night sky, walking so closely that their shoulders brushed against each other's.

Korra nudged him roughly. "You've been awful quiet. What are you thinking?"

"I'm always quiet and thinking about something," he looked back into her enquiring eyes and smiled sardonically.

They had reached their inn. She made a loud scoffing noise as they ascended the stairs to their rooms.

"Please, you are _always_ yakking about something. I think you like the sound of your own voice."

"Guilty as charged," he replied. "But there's 'Councilman Tarrlok', and then there's just—" he shrugged, caught in a rare moment of awkwardness—"just me."

He gave her a small, sad smile. "Well, I'm not a Councilman any more. I'm just a tagged prisoner."

By now, they were standing in the corridor face to face, close enough to feel each others' breath. Korra looked up into his strong, handsome face. This was the most vulnerable she had seen him since she'd found him in that cell. Instinct made her reach out to touch him. She brought her hand up slowly and placed her palm over his heart. She felt his heart thumping against the walls of his chest. But next it, she also felt a small metal object buzzing sullenly in his flesh.

Without a word, she looked up at him and pulled the lapel of his tunic aside, exposing the skin over his heart. Then she placed her hand over his chest again, focusing her energy.

"Korra…" _If she triggered this thing, it would be the stupidest reason to die._

"Shhh." She closed her eyes and concentrated on the Tracking Disc and the muscles around it. Then she took a deep breath and pulled on the metal chip. Tarrlok winced as it bore its way out through the meat.

"Shhhhhh," she soothed him while easing the disc out as gently as she could. Eventually, a small, smooth disc surfaced, and a stream of blood trickled out of the exit wound. She reached into his pocket where she knew he kept a handkerchief, and pressed it to the bleeding wound. She hovered the disc right above the palm of her hand and inspected it curiously. It was too thin and small to have any room for an exploding mechanism.

"This is just an ordinary Tracker," she finally said. "Beifong was just scaring you with the exploding stuff."

Then, with uncharacteristic delicacy, Korra metal-bended the disc neatly in two. Holding each piece in the air, she pushed one half back into Tarrlok's chest the way she took it out, and the other half into herself.

She blinked away a tear of pain. "Now we're _both_ tagged," she said. "But you're not a prisoner; we're partners on a mission. The tracking team won't ask questions as long as we stick together—"

He took her face between his hands and looked deep into her eyes. "I'll never leave you."

They gazed at each other for a long moment. Then Tarrlok drew the water out of a vase of fresh flowers on the stand behind them, charged it with healing energy just like Korra had taught him just recently, and split the orb into two; one for each of them.

Korra vehemently brushed his hand away. "I want to heal naturally. This wound symbolizes—"

"It's going to get infected," he cut her off and healed them both.


	6. Thinking About A Bloodbender

_Note: This chapter contains graphic content._

Korra took a cold shower and prepared for bed. Tomorrow they would leave for Yu Dao to apprehend Noatak. The moon poured through the gauzy curtains of her window like a silver sun. She tossed and turned listlessly. But the glare from outside wasn't the only thing keeping her awake. Her heart ached and spun like a compass needle out of control.

 _Come on, Korra. You need to rest._

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to clear her mind. Instead, she heard a voice as smooth as silk and drenched in worldly confidence. She saw a smirk at the corner of a sensuous mouth, inviting her to partake in secrets for her alone. She felt warm brown skin over a taut, rippling frame. But what really drove her to distraction was the smell of him. In fact, it was one of the first things that had made an impression on her during their first meeting at Tenzin's house.

 _"Why do you have three ponytails? And how come you smell like a lady?", said Ikki as she inspected the unusual councilman._

Tenzin's young daughter could be forgiven for her confusion. Tarrlok's scent was intoxicating and impossible to place. A vague bouquet of orange blossom, lavender and rose lingered over deep currents of sandalwood, incense and musk. He smelled like a garden by the sea—a paradox of masculinity and sensuality, power and insinuation. She wanted to breathe him in.

Korra threw off her covers, sat up and buried her head in her knees. She couldn't sleep.

* * *

In the very next room, Tarrlok was also preparing for bed. He was shaving for the second time that day, and had just given himself a razor burn. He drew some water out of the basin and healed himself, sighing with contentment at the soothing coolness. Healing was turning out to be a nifty trick. He worked up more lather on his face with a shaving brush and went back in with a blade over his angular jaw.

Tarrlok liked to look good and surround himself with nice things. He had served his time in the wilderness as a child, wearing heavy skins in the tundra and rubbing pungent seal fat into his cracked little palms. Yakone's training regimen for his two sons was punishing. Tarrlok counted the days till he left the biting gales of the North to pursue success in the big city. When he finally achieved his ambitions, he decided to treat himself to a few well-deserved creature comforts. He never forgot his roots, however, and curated his luxuries only from the Northern Water Tribe. Unfortunately, a well-dressed man tends to be regarded with suspicion, and Tarrlok wondered sadly whether a good part of why people suspected the worst of him was not because he was so unusually attractive…

His thoughts were interrupted by a rude knock on the door. He dried his face on a soft towel and answered it. Standing in the corridor with both arms clasped protectively over her chest was Korra in her night clothes.

"Korra?" he asked in surprise, unsure whether to invite her in or not.

"Hey, Tarrlok! What's up?" She said a little too loudly. She gulped nervously. He looked gorgeous in a simple white tank top and loose silk pants, his long dark hair tumbling over his broad shoulders.

He folded his arms and leaned against the door frame with an amused smile. "It's close to midnight and you knocked on my door, so you tell me."

Korra's eyes widened and she started to fumble. Her hands flew to her face and pushed imaginary strands of hair out of her eyes. "Oh, I was just thinking about our bloodbending and healing session, and about you—I mean not _about_ you, but just 'you'"—she made air-quotes with her fingers—"as a subject that is closely related to bloodbending, which is an important skill…"

"Mmm hmm."

"And I think we've really learned a lot about each other in the past few days, you know? I used to think you were this annoying, egotistical know-it-all who was only interested in advancing himself, but I know better know…"

She was rattling. Even in the dark, the red in her cheeks was obvious.

"…and I guess what I wanted to say was…you're not as big of a jerk as you could have been. And you deserve a medal for that. A Not-As-Big-Of-A-Jerk-As-You-Could-Have-Been Award."

She stopped to catch her breath and looked anxiously at him, waiting for a reply. When none was forthcoming, she took a deep breath and prepared to continue her terrible speech. That was when Tarrlok finally decided to put her out of her misery. He put his arms around her, drew her in, and kissed her.

Korra was stunned. She melted into the heat of his body as he pressed his mouth onto hers. But a moment later she recovered her senses, seized him by the shoulders and shoved him to the back of the room where his bed was.

"Whoa!" Tarrlok put his hands out, startled, and did his best not to topple over as she advanced and pushed him towards the bed. He tried to arrange himself nicely on the mattress, but she pushed him down roughly and proceeded to straddle him. She felt his hardness press between her legs and grew even more agitated. Pinning him down by his shoulders, she kissed him voraciously, hard as she could, shoving her tongue as far down his throat as it would go.

"Mmmpprrrhh!" he responded in alarm. She was snapping at him like a lion-turtle in a feeding frenzy. He felt mostly teeth and at some point tasted blood. She was also grinding on his crotch so determinedly that he thought the night would be over as soon as it had begun.

She pulled away long enough for him to take a breath. Any hope he had of a reprieve was dashed, however. With a wild and determined look in her eyes, she grabbed the neck of his white tank top and ripped it clean in half.

"Korra!" Enough was enough. He grabbed her wrists, flipped her onto her back, and held her down with the weight of his body. She gasped in surprise and thrashed against him, fighting to reach his lips and devour them. But Tarrlok had none of it. He gathered both her wrists in one hand and fastened them above her. With the other hand he reached round to grab her hair and pull her head back down, exposing her throat.

"That singlet was expensive," he chided as he grazed her earlobe with his lips. "Behave yourself." Then, slow as honey, he moved his lips down her throat, over her collarbone, and back to her mouth. He kissed her slowly and deeply while running his hand over her taut stomach, all the while grinding slowly into the apex of her thighs. She whimpered in frustration and tried to fight her way back on top, but he didn't allow her to.

He gnawed her shoulder and lifted her shirt over her head. Then he pulled her soft cotton pants down till they were past her ankles and on the ground. He slipped deftly out of his own clothing and laid the length of his naked body against hers. Korra trembled. Her breathing was sharp and erratic, and her eyes were glassy. She looked ready to cry.

"Shhh," he whispered and stroked her hair. She closed her eyes and bit her lip as he cupped his large, warm hands over her breasts and suckled each of them in turn. Then he kissed a trail down her stomach, and past her dark triangle. Korra gripped the sheets on either side of her, and groaned as he pushed her thighs apart and tasted her, slowly and deeply. Pinpricks of pleasure aggregated and intensified until they burst; she bucked as waves of bliss lapped over her body.

Tarrlok looked up from between her thighs. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was matted against her sides of her face. He moved back up the bed till he was face to face with her. Korra tried to speak but the words kept vanishing in her mouth. So instead she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face where his neck met his shoulders.

He gave her a few seconds to recover, then took her hand, moved it down past his stomach, and wrapped it around his cock. Korra's eyes widened. She sat up and balked at it.

"Uh, that's really big," she said apprehensively.

"How kind of you," he smiled lazily and moved her hand up and down his shaft.

"No, I don't know if I can—um—I've never actually, you know, done it."

"I figured," he said. "So do you want to?"

She stared at the girthy object in her hand. "I _really_ do, but I'm a little scared of…that."

"I'll go slow. I promise," he said, and nestled himself between her legs.

Then he kissed her lips and pushed gently into her. She winced and dug her fingers into his back as a sharp pain seared through her like a hot knife.

"Are you okay?" he stopped and whispered. She grimaced and nodded.

He began to move slowly. Soon the sharpness gave way to a sweet, dull ache that radiated through her body. Completely entranced, she closed her eyes and timed her breath to his rhythm. When he was sure that she had gotten comfortable, he hooked his arms under her knees and pushed them up to her chest. Korra gasped. He was now penetrating her at a different angle and pounding on a new spot that felt a hundred times more intense. It was almost too much for her. She squirmed in distress but he riveted her in place, moving deeper and ever more relentlessly into her.

She tightened her grip around his shoulders. A tidal wave was building from the ocean floor. Her field of perception began to whittle down. She no longer noticed the moonlight; only the beads of sweat forming on his brow. The music of crickets outside faded away; only the sound of his breath on her neck remained. She no longer felt the texture of the sheets beneath her; only the bullseye of pleasure and pain where he was entering her.

The tidal wave crested and paused like a rollercoaster before the drop.

Then it crashed on the shore.

Korra moaned and bit her lip to keep herself from screaming as a powerful wave convulsed her entire body. In the moments that it had taken control of her, it obliterated every living memory she had.

Korra's eyes flew open. Tarrlok was still moving on top of her, staring intensely into her eyes. She threw him across the room with a hot blast of air. He slammed into the wall and slid down to the floor. Then she yanked the covers over her naked body.

"Tarrlok!" she exclaimed angrily. "Did you just _bloodbend_ me?" She was furious. She had never lost control of herself like that. It was not okay for him to manipulate her like that when she was so vulnerable.

"No, I did not." He rose from the floor like a cat waking up after a nap, completely unperturbed by what she had just done. He seemed to be _smirking_. He wasn't sorry at all! Korra ignited two fireballs with her fists, ready to teach him a lesson.

He walked back to the bed with an infuriatingly smug look on his face. Korra intensified the fire.

He climbed back into bed with her and pulled the covers off her. "Would you like it to happen again?"

Korra extinguished the flames, taken aback by his question. Before she could answer, he pulled her back down and kissed her.

* * *

Somewhere in Yu Dao, Noatak was pensively smoking a cigar under a canopy of stars and gazing at the same moon. He had been in Yu Dao for three days and wasn't sure how much longer he would stay. The Republic City Police Force was lying in wait for him outside the city wall, and the equalist movement he had worked so hard to nurture was probably in disarray. But his mind wasn't on politics. It was on another bloodbender who had grown up to become a councilman.

He tapped a pocket of ash onto the ground and took another puff, savoring the deep, oaky flavor in his mouth. Of course, Tarrlok wasn't a bloodbender any more, after what Noatak had to do to him. It pained him to see his brother so devastated after the deed was done. It was even more regrettable that he could not retrieve Tarrlok from his cell after having locked him in there for his own safety. This would mark the second time he had abandoned his little brother. But knowing Tarrlok, he had probably found his way out by now and landed on his feet. It was only a shame that Noatak could not be there to re-educate his brother away from his corrupt, self-serving ways.

Tarrlok took after their mother. Even as boys, he had been sensitive, fussy, and averse to conflict. Given the option, he preferred to solve problems by negotiation and, if necessary, manipulation. On the other hand, Noatak took after their father Yakone: he was direct, brutal, and indomitable. The only soft spot Noatak ever had was reserved for his little brother, whom he tried to protect from their father. But sometimes it seemed like Tarrlok didn't want to help himself. He was so _soft_. He cried whenever an animal was in pain, and worst of all, he cried into his _handkerchief._ And even at the age of five, he carried around a small tin of seal fat to keep his little hands supple. Was he _trying_ to get a whupping?

And so young Noatak took it upon himself to toughen up his little brother. He spoke harshly, smacked him occasionally, and did his best to pre-empt their father's punishments. _Better from me than father,_ he used to say to his limpid-eyed little brother. The problem was that Yakone was neither consistent nor even-handed in his discipline. But Noatak, remarkably self-assured even as a child, always had faith in his own judgement. After each session of stern discipline, he would always make up for it with a special treat: a syrup-cone from the village fair, an extra ration of seal-jerky if they were out in the snow, and if nothing else was available, they always enjoyed a long cuddle.

Noatak exhaled a plume of smoke and watched it curl against the moonlight. He wished he could hold his brother again.

* * *

Korra untangled her fingers from Tarrlok's long, dark hair and tumbled off him. They laid side by side for a few moments, slick with sweat, recovering their breath. They were spent.

He turned to face her and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "We _really_ need to get some rest for tomorrow's journey," he said.

She scooted closer to him so that she could twine her ankles with his. "Thank you for saving my life," she said softly.

"You saved me first." He gently nudged her to turn around and embraced her from behind, his face buried in her hair. With limbs entwined and fingers interlaced, they drifted off together.


	7. Yu Dao

_Author's note: I'd like to thank those who read and commented on my previous chapters. Please enjoy the remaining ones. There's more where that came from._

When Korra and Tarrlok pulled over inside city gates of Yu Dao and hopped out of their All Terrain Sato Mobile, they half expected more attention than they actually received. It was difficult to tell whether the townspeople didn't recognize them, or if they were being deliberately ignored.

"You know your way around here?" Korra asked tentatively.

"More or less," Tarrlok pulled her quickly towards him and kissed her forehead. Then he lead them to the nearest square, tracing the route from the memory of his last trip to the city.

Korra scanned her surroundings in wonder. Yu Dao was a bustling, multicultural city. People from all over the world were milling around and interacting with each other. In this regard, Yu Dao wasn't much different from Republic City, which was equally equally if not more cosmopolitan. But what struck her was how most of the townspeople seemed to be non-benders. The town was highly advanced and utilized many technologies adapted for use by non-benders. Everything seemed…equal.

"This place is different, isn't it?" Tarrlok remarked.

"Not a lot of benders here, huh."

"It's a point of pride for them. I wouldn't say they're hostile to us, but we should still be discreet. Also," he added meaningfully, "Noatak doesn't know we got our bending back."

"Let alone about our new special skills." This time, Korra was the one smirking.

They approached an old woman selling vegetables at a stall and bowed to her. She looked like she would be familiar with the ins and outs of the town.

"Ma'am, we're looking for man named Noatak," Tarrlok said. "He's a dangerous bloodbender—"

"Oh, Amon!" the old woman corrected. "Saw him yesterday, but I'm not sure where he's staying. Such a good fellow. Handsome, too," she chuckled.

Korra and Tarrlok exchanged a glance. "You know of his double identity?" Tarrlok asked the vegetable seller.

"Double identity?" she shrugged. "That sounds like fancy talk for 'nicknames'. We know who he is; he's a good guy. He helped us when Fire Bandits attacked. He uses his bending to help people like us."

Then she paused and squinted suspiciously at the two. "Why? Are you benders looking for trouble with him? He's on _our_ side," she said, gesturing to herself.

"No, we're just old friends of his. Thanks for your help," Korra bowed, and turned around to leave.

"Well that was weird," she muttered to Tarrlok under her breath as they walked away.

"We have to be careful," he agreed. "We're on his turf now."

Korra and Tarrlok stopped a few more people to ask about "Amon". They were met with eager smiles and tales of all the wonderful things had done for the town. No one mentioned the equalist revolution, but it didn't seem like they would care even if they knew.

Eventually they received a lead to an apartment building in a small, quiet neighborhood. The building was owned by a woman named Sujin Lee, whose first husband had died during the Fire Bandit raid. Word on the street was that Mrs Lee was letting "Amon" use one of her empty apartments.

After walking for the better part of the morning, Korra and Tarrlok finally came to the foot of Mrs Lee's building. Surrounding the complex was a well-used outdoor common area with tables, stools, lounge chairs, and a cooking area. In an alternate universe, Korra could see herself living here, enjoying a close-knit community with all her neighbors. She snuck a glance at Tarrlok. _Bet it's not fancy enough for you_ , she thought _._ She was right. Tarrlok himself was surveying the place with a frown. It was quaint, but if he and Korra ever lived together, he would make sure she was more comfortably provided for. He caught himself before he elaborated his thoughts any further.

Just as they were lost in their own fantasies, a low, commanding voice penetrated the air.

"If it isn't my little brother and the Avatar."

They spun around to face him. Korra's jaw dropped. In the light of day and without his mask, Noatak was strikingly handsome. He was dressed in a simple military jacket, dark trousers, and boots, his chiseled features framed by his short, tousled hair. He looked like an austere version of Tarrlok. Although they were equally tall and well built, Noatak had a dark and intense air that made him seem much more imposing than his brother.

"Hello, brother." Tarrlok said and narrowed his eyes.

Noatak held his gaze walked towards him. Korra was mesmerized by the way he moved. He prowled like a large cat circling its prey, power and danger in every graceful step. He stopped a hair's breadth away from Tarrlok.

Noatak put his hands around the sides of Tarrlok's face and looked him straight in the eye. "I knew you would come, brother."

Tarrlok did not flinch. A vicious anger flashed across his eyes as recent events and old wounds rose to the surface like an underwater geyser. Adrenaline surging through his body, Tarrlok clenched his fists and imagined Noatak's bones crunching under their impact. There was water behind them; Tarrlok could easily take his brother by surprise and plunge a thousand daggers of ice through his heart. Instead, he shut his eyes and dropped his head into Noatak's hands. Noatak closed his eyes, tilted towards his brother and touched their foreheads together.

"Uh…" Korra interrupted.

Noatak looked up at her, taking his time to do so. Tarrlok looked resigned as Noatak placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know why you're here," Noatak said, "but let us call a truce for now. I want to show you around Yu Dao."

"A truce?" Korra asked incredulously. For now, self-preservation overrode her fascination with him. "After all you've done?"

"There's something I want you to see," Noatak replied. "I give you my word: no harm will come to you in Yu Dao."

Korra and Tarrlok looked at each other, myriad separate calculations running through their minds.

 _Your call, Avatar_ , Tarrlok seemed to be saying silently.

Korra sighed and shrugged.

"Good," Noatak said. "Follow me."

He led them to a simple, black mobile behind the apartment complex. "This vehicle was manufactured in Yu Dao," he explained as Korra and Tarrlok climbed into the front seats next to their driver. Noatak engaged the gears. "It's called the People's Mobile. Its simple and utilitarian design serves only one purpose: to convey people from one place to the next." Contempt rippled through his voice, leaving Tarrlok in no doubt that he was referring to the gratuitous luxury mobiles of Republic City; which the former councilman once had at his disposal and regularly availed himself of.

They began a scenic, mostly silent drive to the outskirts of the city. Korra sat between the brothers, marveling at how similar yet different they were. Inches away from Noatak, occasionally brushing against him during the bumpy ride, it was hard for her not to notice that he smelled of leather, musk, and tobacco. It was a deep, masculine scent with no hint of softness or insinuation. A smoldering warmth emanated from his body and sent a tingle through her skin. She distracted herself by furtively hooking a finger around Tarrlok's, and he squeezed her hand in return.

Noatak stopped at the edge of an dense grove and the three got out of the vehicle. He led them through the grove, expertly following an invisible trail and pushing thick branches out of their way. The grove was eerily silent. A dense canopy insulated them from the outside world, scattering the scarce rays of sunlight into tiny droplets. It felt like a place between worlds; a place they had no right to be.

They stopped at a small wooden shrine, big enough to accommodate only a handful of visitors. Though tucked away in a secluded location, the inside of the shrine appeared to be well maintained: fresh fruit and flowers lay on a well-swept ground. Along the eaves of the structure were carved motifs of non-benders engaged in daily activities. On the door posts were two plaques:

 _We put out their fires_

 _And made our own_

Noatak led the two visitors inside. They quietly and reverentially took in the scene, disturbed by what they saw.

"What is this place?" Tarrlok asked.

"Three decades ago, Yu Dao underwent a process of rapid decolonization," Noatak began. "Ever since the end of the war, the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation had been locked in a tense diplomatic row over the fate of this prosperous island. Each side would station troops outside the city and conduct military exercises to display their power. This went on for many years.

"But nobody asked the citizens of Yu Dao what they wanted. You see, the conflict over Yu Dao was really between the military and political elite of both countries. _Benders_. But Yu Dao had always mostly comprised non-benders, and it was this that enabled them to forge a peaceful society based on their common humanity.

"One day, the mayor of Yu Dao convened a meeting with the Fire Lord and Earth King, with Avatar Aang playing moderator. The mayor argued that it was best that Yu Dao became an independent republic, a safe haven for people from around the world. It would be a city of the future. Avatar Aang liked this solution, and he convinced the Fire Lord and Earth King to accept it. The next day, the troops outside the city were dispersed. The Avatar counted this one of his great successes. Little did he know the resentment this would stir up in the Fire Nation.

"Twenty-six years ago, a roving group of Fire Bandits invaded Yu Dao. They swept through the town in the middle of the night, laid waste to many homes, killing and maiming thousands of helpless inhabitants. The Fire Bandits were not part of the state, but it was obvious that they had military connections. Yu Dao sent a distress signal to the Earth Kingdom, but they were ignored. They tried to reach the Avatar, but he was busy making the rest of the world a better place. This was the price Yu Dao paid for its independence."

A heavy silence hung in the air when Noatak finished. Korra's heart sank as she contemplated Aang's role in this disaster, and the implications of her own limits as the Avatar.

"That's really tragic," she said softly. "But what does this have to do with you, Noatak?"

Noatak turned to the two of them with his penetrating gaze.

"Twenty-six years ago, I left the Northern Water Tribe and found my way to Yu Dao. I was taken in by Lee Wai-Man and his wife Sujin. They had two children of their own, but treated me like a son. That was a few months before the Fire Bandits arrived.

"I was there when they razed our neighborhood to the ground. Wai-Man was torched. He suffered third degree burns all over his body. I couldn't heal him because I didn't know how.

"But stress has a funny way of unlocking latent abilities. One night, I snuck into a house that several Fire Bandits had taken over and were spending the night. I started with a simple blood-grip over them all. But as I wrenched their bodies, trying to make them feel some of the pain they had inflicted on others, I discovered a weakness in their bodies that I had never noticed in all those years of training. It was the first time I ever took a person's bending away, and I did it to all of them.

"Soon after, word spread among the Fire Bandits of a person with a terrifying ability. They left and never publicized it because they were ashamed. But the people of Yu Dao found out and were grateful to me.

"It was too late for Wai-Man. He was in excruciating pain. Mercifully he succumbed, but before that, he renamed me "Amon". It means 'faithful', because I was faithful to my adoptive family and the cause of justice. It also means 'hidden', because my identity was secret from the Fire Nation. Even as the leader of the equalists, I hid my face behind a mask, because the individual does not matter in the revolution."

Korra and Tarrlok were transfixed. They saw the fires and felt the flames, but they also saw a young Noatak inflict terrible justice upon the perpetrators. They felt a confusing mixture of terror, sorrow, and triumph. This must be what young Noatak felt, and what had motivated him all those years.

"You've been through a lot," Tarrlok finally said.

Noatak turned to him. "I _was_ disfigured in that attack. The scar tissue covered my face and I couldn't even blink. Eventually a powerful healer took most of the scars away. But I painted them back under my mask so that I wouldn't forget."

Korra stepped forward and brought her face close to Noatak's. If she squinted, she could see raw, faint streaks across his handsome face. She brought her fingers to his cheek and lightly traced them.

"I think I could heal you completely," she said, and reached her hand out the window to pull the dew off the leaves.

Noatak caught her wrist gently but firmly. "No," he said, holding onto her longer than he needed to. "I'll keep them."

Then he stepped out of the shrine and back into the grove, from which the last rays of sunlight were quickly retreating. Korra and Tarrlok followed after him, still silent and thoughtful from all they had just heard.

"So…what now?", she asked.

"I ask not for your support, but your understanding," Noatak said to his brother and the Avatar. "Stay awhile in Yu Dao, and I will show you more."

Korra was torn. "We didn't come here for this—"

"The sun is setting, and you have nowhere to go. So either take me out of the city and hand me over to your little team," Noatak said with a gleam in his eye that dared her to try, "or stay and make an effort to learn about the movement that has changed millions of lives."

* * *

Korra and Tarrlok had made a perilous journey to Yu Dao to capture Noatak and bring him to justice. But now that they were here, things weren't so simple. They had stumbled into his stronghold and learned that he had found out about their shadow team. Furthermore, Noatak had invited them to stay in the city as his guests to learn about the movement. This could either be a trap, an opportunity, or both. At a loss for options, they checked into an inn to buy themselves time and discuss their next steps.

For some reason they felt it necessary to keep up the pretense of requesting two rooms, when one of the first things Korra did after settling in her own room was to climb in through the window of Tarrlok's. She caught him just as he was on his way over to hers. It had been two long nights since they first got together in Jin Cheng, and each moment in between was riven with longing. Their mission would have to wait.

Their reunion was swift and fierce. Korra curled up drowsily against Tarrlok when it was over, and nestled her cheek in the hollow beneath his collarbone. He held her close and they lay in silence, listening to each others' heartbeats. Eventually Korra climbed back on top of him and looked directly into his eyes.

"We have to decide what to do now," she said. Before he could answer, she leaned in for a slow, deep kiss. Her head was light and her heart ached for him. It was hard to locate the precise moment on the trip when he began to infiltrate her thoughts, and when he took over them completely. At many points in the last few days, she thought she was going to go mad. She was alarmed and exhilarated by these feelings. The closest she'd ever felt to this was when she had a little crush on Mako, but it was like comparing a pond to an ocean.

At the age of thirty seven, Tarrlok was no stranger to these feelings, but that did not protect him from succumbing to them. Korra was seventeen and naive in many ways, but she had wisdom and power beyond her years. She wouldn't be the first girl most men would approach at a party, but the more he looked at her the more he realized how profoundly, unusually beautiful she was. And now as she pulled away from the kiss and looked down at him with shimmering blue eyes, his heart was also sore with yearning.

"What did you say?" Tarrlok vaguely remembered that she had asked an important question.

Korra pecked him absently on the lips and tried to recall what she said.

"I said, what do we do now about Noatak? I think we should take him out tomorrow."

"It's not going to be easy," Tarrlok replied thoughtfully as he stroked her hair, which had tumbled down around her face like a curtain. "We don't know the full extent of his support here, but the roots run deep."

"Can't we just call the Republic City Police in here?"

"No. That would cause a diplomatic war. Yu Dao has no repatriation agreement with Republic City, or anywhere else for that matter. It takes its sovereignty _very_ seriously, and I guess we know why now."

"So we're surrounded without backup," Korra said flatly.

"Yes, and I'm not sure we could leave if we wanted to."

"So what should we do?"

"I suggest we go along with Noatak and learn what we can. Radio Beifong update her on the situation. We shouldn't do anything rash until we have assessed his resources and intentions."

Korra nodded. This plan made sense and she would radio Beifong as soon as she could bear to pull herself away from Tarrlok. But that would not be any time soon. In a swift motion that nearly made her squeal, he swept her onto her back, then dove in for another kiss.


	8. Amon's Past

Noatak leaned against the door of his sleek, black mobile. He had arrived ten minutes early to pick up his brother and Korra. A pinpoint of ember crackled at the end of his cigarette as he pulled the tobacco into his lungs and held it for a moment, watching and waiting as he always did. Then he exhaled a thick pall of smoke through his nose, letting it shroud him before vanishing into the air. Yesterday he noticed how the two looked at each other when they thought his back was turned, their stolen gazes an invisible chord between them. Although they had come to bring him back to Republic City and were prepared for a fight, Noatak could smell their hesitation like blood. They were distracted.

Korra and Tarrlok burst out the front door of the lobby. Noatak looked down at his watch: two minutes early. Korra turned to whisper something to Tarrlok, barely able to suppress a schoolgirl giggle, but his brother, ever the seasoned politician, maintained an sphinx-like demeanor. As they drew closer to the mobile, they straightened themselves and piled in without a word. Noatak let his cigarette fall to the ground and got in.

After a short and pleasant drive, they arrived at some kind of factory. The guards at the gate nodded at Noatak and waved him through. Korra and Tarrlok gazed curiously at the compound. White smoke billowed from the chimneys and a dull, distant roar reverberated from deep within the walls of the buildings.

"You probably know that Yu Dao produces the finest metal in the world," Noatak said as he pulled the vehicle to a stop in a small, shaded courtyard. "But you're probably unaware of the fact that none of these factories hire benders."

Korra was impressed, and Tarrlok dubious. Metal work in many other parts of the world relied on the abilities of fire benders to generate heat, earth benders to purify ore and crude metal, and water benders for temperature regulation. Only benders in fine physical condition were allowed to work in the grueling environment of the metal factory. If non-benders were employed at all, they were relegated the least-regarded role of operating crude fan machinery. Even then it was assumed that if air benders were available for hire, the entire process would be greatly improved. How on earth did Yu Dao produce the finest metal in the world without benders?

"I've arranged for a friend of mine to give you a tour," Noatak said, just as a door swung open. "Meisa is the manager of this factory, and a trained chemical engineer."

A woman in a hard hat and well-worn overalls emerged to greet them. Her safety goggles were slung around her neck and she held a clipboard in her coal-smudged hands. There was a lively spark in her eyes. She was also in a wheelchair. The two guests were surprised, to say the least.

"You must be Korra, and Amon's brother Tarrlok," she beamed and extended her hand for each to shake in turn. "What a pleasure."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too," Korra replied, trying her best not to stare in wonder at her.

But the manager did not seem perturbed by Korra's reaction. "It's always an honor to share our knowledge with outsiders," she said. "Unlike many others, we have no secrets to guard."

Now Tarrlok was piqued. "Why would you give away your competitive edge?", he asked incredulously.

"Because our knowledge and experience would make the world a better place," Meisa replied. "Well, come on! Let's start the tour!"

Korra followed eagerly behind Meisa as she led them into the factory. She did not particularly enjoy spending time in industrial compounds, but she was piqued by this one.

Before Tarrlok could follow them, he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw his brother. It was the first time they had been alone together in Yu Dao.

"Were you always this close?" Noatak asked in his low, gravelly voice.

"What are you talking about?" Tarrlok asked.

A slow, knowing smile spread across Noatak's lips. "Yakone's son and the Avatar. What would father say?"

Tarrlok frowned. "Well, father's not here."

"But I am."

"You're not father."

"No, I'm not," Noatak agreed. "I would have taken better care of you."

Tarrlok was aghast. "You took away my bending before locking me in a cell." Blood rushed to his head; maybe now he would pummel his brother after all.

"You didn't need your bending," Noatak replied levelly. "You didn't bend your way to the top, and neither did I."

"Unbelievable," Tarrlok shook his head. "Just unbelievable."

"What is?" Noatak asked.

Tarrlok sighed. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, did you bring me here to show me something or just talk?"

Noatak placed his hand on Tarrlok's shoulder and led him inside. "There'll be plenty of time to talk. Let us catch up with Meisa and Korra."

* * *

Meisa stole a sidelong look at Korra and smiled at the sight of her amazement. The manager was used to this reaction from visitors, but never tired of it.

"Pretty neat, huh?" she said to the Avatar.

Korra nodded. She had never seen anything as advanced as this factory. Tubes and wires ran all around the facility, conveying substances from place to place without human intervention. Red hot flames shot up from the ground and boiled a molten vat of metal. Normally, a fire this big would have been created and sustained by a team of fire benders, but this sea of fire raged on without any sign of human intervention. The only people around seemed to be walking around in hard hats and protective gear, only occasionally tinkering with the machines.

"I don't understand," Korra said. "It would be the easiest thing for you to recruit Fire and Earth benders for this task, given the history of Yu Dao. Why don't you just do that?"

Meisa smiled indulgently. "First, there's the risk of human error. Metal factories that use manual labour have an average of three fatal accidents and many more serious incidents each year. All it takes is for someone to grow tired, lose focus, or step into the wrong line, and it's over.

"Second, in order to minimize these sorts of accidents, many bending-factories adopt draconian hierarchies to keep people in line. This is dehumanizing, and as I just mentioned, doesn't even work.

"Third, manual labor is just not sustainable. Nobody can keep up a constant and precise temperature, lifting power, or whatever. Not even you, Avatar."

Korra was perturbed. Even she had to agree that there was no way she could power a large industrial operation like this. But what did this mean? Was there really no place in the future for benders?

Meisa must have read her mind. "This is the future, Avatar," she said quietly. "Amon was ahead of his time. He cast his vote on the right side of history, and helped to make it happen."

Korra's heart quickened as she saw her opportunity to gather more information. "So…anyway, how did you get to know Amon? And what's he really like?"

At the mention of this subject, Meisa's jovial smile disappeared and her eyes clouded with emotion. She looked down at her hands which were folded on her lap, and said nothing.

Korra's heart sank. Did she just open up a raw wound? "Hey uh, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," she said.

Meisa cleared her throat, sat up straight, and continued to push herself forward. "No, it's okay," she smiled. "It's just something that gets me a little emotional, you know? It's a great story. It starts out sad, but it ends great."

"Well, I was only four when the great fire happened. My parents dropped me down the stairs when they were rushing out of the house—that's how I lost the use of my legs. But they were trapped inside and they… they…"

Korra put her hand on Meisa's shoulder and squeezed it.

Meisa continued. "So we lost everything, like many other families. My aunt and uncle survived and took me in. Then we heard about Amon and what he did. I got to know him when they took me along to thank him, and we wrote each other regularly from then on.

"When I graduated from high school, my self confidence was really low. I didn't want to do anything. I was sitting at home all day. It was Amon who encouraged me to go to university. At first I ignored his letters, but one day he picked me up and brought me to Yu Dao University to fill in an application. I chose engineering as a joke, but then I got in. I guess it wasn't so much in demand then.

"When I started classes, it still wasn't easy. The labs weren't equipped for people like me. But Amon encouraged me to advocate for myself, and he used his influence to help me too. It was because of his encouragement and belief in me that I graduated with top honors, and here I am now."

With her eyes shining with hope and pride, Meisa stopped and turned to Korra. "Amon never saw what I couldn't do. I saw what I could. I used to keep asking how I could pay him back. He said don't do that; pay it forward. Use your skills to make this world a more equal one."

Korra nodded silently. She was ashamed to admit it, but she had never given much thought to people in less than perfect physical condition. She had trouble thinking of a single person like Meisa whom she knew personally. Yet, here was Meisa in a wheelchair, the manager of one of the best metal factories in the world. And she credited Noatak for it.

"There you are," Noatak interrupted her thoughts and approached them from behind. He was standing with Tarrlok, and the two seemed like they had just had a good conversation of their own. "I thought you were still in the other wing."

"Well, we move fast," Meisa's eyes twinkled back at him. "Hey Amon, we just got some new machinery and I've had to redesign the personnel procedures. I want your opinion on it."

"Well let's hear from the workers themselves," he replied.

* * *

"He's not the monster I thought he was," Korra remarked to Tarrlok as the two watched him chat and interact with various factory workers. It was clear that they genuinely liked and respected him.

"A monster?" Tarrlok said distantly, as the ghost of an old memory faded into view…

 _Tarrlok was nine and Noatak was twelve. The wind was howling and their cheeks were turning white with frostbite._

 _"We're not leaving till you get it, Tarrlok!" Yakone boomed._

 _The tears had frozen on Tarrlok's cheeks and his little body heaved with dry sobs. Before him was a snow-gazelle crying in terror, its knees buckled and its neck wrenched unnaturally to the side. Its anguished screams pierced the young bloodbender's heart. He felt sick and wanted to stop._

 _"Finish the job, Tarrlok! Do it!" Yakone's voice was thick with fury._

 _Tarrlok felt for the snow gazelle's windpipe and twisted it closed. It gasped pitifully and its thin legs thrashed in all directions. Eventually the kicking grew weaker, and the animal looked at its tormentor one last time. When Tarrlok caught its desperate gaze, he faltered and broke his grip. He couldn't do it. The animal collapsed to the ground, stunned for a few seconds, then recovered and sprang back into the storm._

 _Yakone saw all this and walked silently towards his son, a pillar of rage looming in the white darkness. Tarrlok's little heart sank and his legs trembled. Before his father could close in on him, however, Noatak grabbed his hand and hissed into his ear._

 _"Run!"_

 _So they ran, fast and far as they could."Where did you go? Come back here! Both of you!" Their father's voice thundered after them but was soon muffled by the storm. Tarrlok clung tight to his older brother. Noatak always knew where he was going._

 _Just when Tarrlok was on the verge of collapsing, his lungs excoriated by the freezing air, Noatak pulled him into a small cave that sheltered them from the worst of the gale. They panted and caught their breath._

 _"Dad is crazy," Noatak said to his younger brother. "He has no right to treat you this way."_

 _"I was scared," Tarrlok's eyes filled with tears._

 _"I know. But you need to do better."_

 _"I couldn't! He was crying!"_

 _"It's just an animal. Where do you think our meat comes from?"_

 _"But we don't torture our meat!"_

 _Noatak scowled. With a suddenness that caught his younger brother completely by surprise, Noatak struck him across the face with the back of his gloved hand. Tarrlok cried out and stumbled backwards—even their father had never raised a hand against them. Before Tarrlok could recover, Noatak grabbed him by the lapels, hoisted him up till they were nose to nose, and raised his voice._

 _"You NEED to improve, or dad will just keep going at you."_

 _"You're yelling like dad! And you hit me!" Tarrlok's tears flowed freely now._

 _"I'm NOT like dad. He only wants us for his revenge. I want you to be better," Noatak said and released him. "You can do it, Tarrlok. I've seen you do it when you're not nervous. I want you to try it on me now."_

 _"Wh..what?"_

 _"Go on," Noatak urged. "I don't mind. You're good at this, Tarrlok."_

 _More than his own father, Tarrlok wanted to please his older brother. He took a deep breath and did as Noatak asked. Before long, Noatak was on the ground, choking and wheezing. Only when he twitched his finger—their signal to stop whenever their father was making them bloodbend each other—did Tarrlok release him. He gasped for air and rubbed his throat._

 _Tarrlok ran up to him anxiously. "Are you okay, Noatak?"_

 _"Yeah. I am. Well done, little brother," he replied. Then he sat down in a corner, put his arms around Tarrlok and pulled him close. The two brothers huddled against each other, bracing against the cold, their father, and the world. Noatak then removed his glove and gently smudged away the dampness on Tarrlok's little face. Then he kissed the bruise on Tarrlok's cheek where he had been struck._

 _"Father says we're his sons and we need to do what he says, or else," Tarrlok whispered._

 _"You're MY little brother," Noatak replied fiercely and squeezed him tighter. "I won't let anybody hurt you."_

Thirty-seven year old Tarrlok shook his head and brought himself back to the present where he was surrounded by pipes, molten metal, and the faraway roar of many furnaces. He watched Noatak tip one large vat of water into another, a task he could easily have used his bending for but didn't.

"A monster," Tarrlok repeated, feeling the strange edges of the word in his mouth. A rueful smile twitched at the corner of his lips. "Believe it or not, I never saw him as one."


	9. Family Reunion

[ _Author's note: The following chapter contains graphic content, that some might even find a little...controversial. Nonetheless I hope you like it. Please leave a review!]_

It had been a long, strange night. Korra drifted in and out of sleep, haunted by feverish visions of metal factories, equalists, a woman in a wheelchair, and two strange, handsome brothers. Several times, she sat up and tried to meditate into the spirit world for guidance while Tarrlok slept soundly beside her. But something seemed to be blocking her path; something immediate, troubling, and carnal. It was only just before dawn that she managed to fall into a brittle sleep.

The sun eventually pried her awake with its relentless rays. Korra groaned in fatigue, and rolled on her side to fling her limbs around Tarrlok for comfort. But he wasn't there. In place of his warm body were a few pillows and a bunched up quilt. Korra sat up with a jolt and searched the room. Then she saw a note by the bedside table, written in Tarrlok's elegant handwriting.

"At Noatak's. Apartment 8."

Cursing under her breath, Korra washed, shoved herself into her clothes, and walked over to Noatak's. As she approached the door, she heard two familiar voices speaking in low tones, and caught a whiff of warm cigar smoke. She pushed the door open without knocking.

"Korra, you're finally awake," Tarrlok drawled. He and Noatak were sitting next to each other on a pulled-out futon couch with their shoes on. It was the only piece of sitting furniture in this sparsely furnished studio apartment: apart from it were only a desk, a chair, a closet, a small stove, and a map of the world on the wall. It was a utilitarian space fit for a revolutionary.

Korra looked at Noatak, who was languidly smoking a cigar, and then at back at Tarrlok. It was a comfortable, brotherly scene. Yet she could not articulate why she felt uneasy about this meeting.

"What are you doing here, Tarrlok?" she asked quietly.

"We were talking," he replied. "I tried to wake you up but kicked me and told me to—"

"Yes, I know what I said," Korra cut him off, remembering the rude comments she had slurred at him that morning.

Noatak draped an arm around Tarrlok and handed his cigar to his brother. "My apologies for starting without you, Korra. Our discussion would have been of interest to you. Please join us."

Korra stood awkwardly in the centre of the room with her arms across her chest. "Uh, there's no place to…"

As soon as the excuse left her mouth, the brothers shifted apart from each other to create a space for her.

"Uh, well, okay," Korra muttered as she settled into the narrow space between them. Their bodies were warm, and they both smelled intoxicating. This was weird, but…cosy?

Tarrlok drew an unhurried puff on the cigar and handed it to Korra. She didn't normally smoke, but decided to try it just this once. She brought the cigar to her lips and inhaled sharply. She immediately choked and doubled over in disgust.

"Ugh! Gross!" she spat.

Noatak took the cigar back from her and smiled—the first time she had ever seen him do so. Tarrlok draped one arm over the back of the futon couch across her shoulders and Noatak's, and rested his other hand at the top of her thigh. Korra was surprised that Tarrlok was displaying affection for her in front of Noatak; they must have had a good talk in her absence.

"So what were you two discussing?" Korra asked.

"Politics and philosophy," Noatak replied. "Or less pretentiously, relationships and ideas."

"Noatak, you're a bender yourself. How could you lead a revolution against benders?" Korra asked. She was never one for small talk.

Noatak fixed her with a penetrating gaze. "I've lived as a non-bender ever since the Fire. I had to devise a system of empowerment for non-benders from a position of understanding. The only time I used my bending since that day was to cleanse other benders of their impurities. Weapons of oppression are permissible only when deployed against tyranny itself."

It was difficult not be entranced by Noatak when he spoke. His voice was pure, yet smoldering; and every word resonated with conviction and authority. When he looked into her eyes while speaking, it was as though he were reaching right into her soul.

Korra broke Noatak's gaze and looked away to collect her thoughts. "But you bended yourself out of the water when you were about to drown," she reminded him. Tarrlok was absently kneading her neck, smoking a cigar of his own now.

"That was a dying man's reflex. I regret it. If and when the time comes, I will give my life for the movement."

Korra shivered. In that moment, she would have given her life for Noatak.

"But why do you even have to take people's bending away?" she asked. "Why can't you just empower non-benders so that we're all on the same level?"

"Because human nature is corrupt, and bending is too powerful a weapon to entrust to the individual."

"That is not true," Korra countered. "And what about me? I have—had—the ability to bend all the elements, and I've _never_ used my power to oppress people. And you told me you wanted to destroy me."

As she recalled her memory of being threatened by Noatak in Republic City, Tarrlok sensed her distress and kissed the top of her ear, then gave her shoulder a firm squeeze.

"Really, Korra? Can you absolutely vouch that none of your actions had any unintended consequences?" Noatak challenged.

Korra twiddled her thumbs. She was tongue-tied and disturbed. That didn't sound right, but what if it was?

Then Noatak softened and cupped her face with his hand, which was warmer and much rougher than Tarrlok's. "I never wanted to destroy you as a _person,_ " he said quietly. "The world needs you as Korra. You are the most selfless and courageous person I know, and it has nothing to do with being the Avatar."

Noatak's lips were nearly touching hers now, and the tension was excruciating. Just before Korra was about to excuse herself from this strange situation, he pulled her face towards him and gave her a slow, searching kiss. Korra was alarmed. Tarrlok was literally right behind her. She broke away from Noatak long enough to look anxiously at his brother, but Tarrlok merely smiled and continued stroking her arms.

Noatak pulled her back towards him and kissed her again, savagely this time, pushing her up against Tarrlok as the latter now kissed her neck.

"Mmmrrph?" Korra squeaked as she was sandwiched between them.

Noatak then pulled her down onto the futon and lay down beside her, never once breaking his kiss. Tarrlok followed suit and there was a flurry of movement as jackets, tunics, trousers and shoes were divested and cast away. Korra gasped as she felt their warm, naked skin against hers, front and back. Noatak's rough hands were over her bare stomach as he kissed her lips; Tarrlok ground into her from behind as he gnawed lightly on her shoulder. Korra was light headed. Not infrequently the brothers would collide as they moved over her, in combat and mutual caress.

Noatak laid Korra her back and kissed a trail down her stomach while Tarrlok bent over her and kissed her deeply.

"What is happening?" Korra asked in bewilderment, half to herself as Tarrlok nuzzled her neck and played with her breasts.

Noatak's hands were moving past her waist and down her thighs. Suddenly, he pushed her knees apart and dove in between her legs to devour her. She bucked and squirmed, which inflamed Tarrlok even more; he wrapped her hand around his cock while his tongue probed and played with her nipples.

Korra was out of breath. The pressure between her legs burst, and she shuddered violently. But Noatak wasn't done with her yet. He moved back up till he was level with her, hoisted her leg over his hip, and penetrated her. Korra groaned. Tarrlok laid his body against the length of her back, so that each insistent thrust Noatak sent into her slammed her back into Tarrlok's body.

Korra was losing her mind. Noatak was ploughing deep into her, and the pressure started building again from the inside. With a hungry glint in his eye, Noatak trailed his warm, rough fingers down her belly and intensified what she was feeling by several orders of magnitude. It was more than anything Tarrlok had ever given her: an unnatural paroxysm of ecstasy quaked through her entire body as Noatak bloodbended her. Korra buried her face in the crook of Noatak's neck and moaned as the waves reverberated through her body. When the waves finally subsided, she went limp. Noatak pulled out and flopped down lazily beside her.

Tarrlok, however, was far from satisfied. He was painfully aroused by the animal scene he had just been drawn into. He flipped Korra onto her front and mounted her. As he fucked her from behind, he swept her hair off the back of her neck and sank his teeth into it, making her claw her fingers into the sheets and cry out. Noatak lazily watched his brother's feral behavior. He draped his arm over his brother's undulating, sweat-slicked back, occasionally brushing Tarrlok's hair out of his eyes.

Korra didn't know how much more she could stand. She bit the covers and screamed into them as another wave mounted inside her. Tarrlok continued to pound urgently into her body, and it was starting to hurt more than it felt good.

"Stop!" she said. "Tarrlok, stop!"

Caught in the violent momentum of desire, he did not register her pleas. It was Noatak who pulled him off her, giving Korra's aching body a merciful reprieve.

"I'm sorry," Tarrlok turned to Korra and panted anxiously. "Did I hurt you?"

But Korra was too drained to respond. She lay back with her hair matted and eyes glazed.

Tarrlok leaned back on his elbows, hard and frustrated. Then he caught Noatak's eye.

Without a word, Noatak climbed over Korra to Tarrlok's side and pushed his brother onto his back. Then he took Tarrlok's hips in his hands and cock in his mouth, and started sucking him vigorously. Noatak could taste himself and Korra on his brother. Tarrlok closed his eyes and gave in to the pleasure. Noatak's mouth was hot, and his suction aggressive. Tarrlok steadied his breath, but the pleasure grew too intense and he soon lost control of himself. Noatak gulped down every last drop of him, then settled down by his side.

The three water benders lay drowsily together, tangled in each others' limbs for what seemed like a sweet eternity. After many moments, Korra got up slowly and dressed.

"I'm gonna go for a walk to…uh…to clear my head," she said as she groggily fastened her tunic. The room smelled of sweat and an excess of testosterone. "You guys get some rest and…carry on talking. Or whatever."

The brothers watched her leave and lay close to each other in silence. Men of the water tribe were extremely affectionate with each other; what they had just done felt completely natural. It reminded them of all the times they kept each other warm in the brutal cold all those years ago.

"I've missed you, brother," Noatak finally said and wrapped his arms around his brother, protective and possessive.

Tarrlok squeezed him back. "I've missed you too. I don't want to lose you again."

* * *

Korra was confused, and she needed a walk to clear her mind. She took the long, scenic route from Noatak's apartment back to her room at the inn, the only place in this strange town where she could enjoy some privacy. On one hand, she was euphoric, and felt paradoxically closer to Tarrlok. On the other hand, the unease she had felt earlier that day had stubbornly persisted. In the heat of the moment, she felt like she finally understood Noatak. But now, away from his intoxicating presence, she realized that she had, in fact, learned nothing about him. She stopped under the shade of a large tree to collect her thoughts.

When she looked up, a tall, lean man in flowing robes stood before her.

"Hello, Korra," Aang said.

Korra straightened herself. "Aang!"

"I sense you are feeling confused," the previous Avatar smiled sadly at her. "Noatak is a seductive person, isn't he? In more ways than one."

"Oh," Korra rubbed her neck bashfully. "You saw what happened back there?"

"I'm a part of you, and everything you do." Then he sighed and shook his head. "Why is it always the Water Avatars?"

Korra ignored his last comment. "I don't know what to do, Aang. What is even going on?"

Aang settled into a cross-legged position on the ground, and Korra followed suit. They sat facing each other under the shade of the tree. "That is the key question," Aang said. "Noatak thrives on ambiguity, confusion, and desire. Don't forget that he is a profoundly charismatic individual who has seduced millions of people with his message. Do not underestimate him."

"I just can't figure out what he wants," Korra frowned.

"For a start, he wants to avoid arrest."

"Yes, but I get the feeling that there's something more. I saw so much of the good he did. And I'm starting to think that he has a point about the importance of equality," Korra said.

"Of course he has a serious point," Aang replied. "And I will be the first to admit my limitations and mistakes when I was the Avatar. I am partly responsible for the popularity of this movement. But ask yourself whether you agree with his solution, and the price he proposes to be paid."

"But that's the thing, Aang," Korra said earnestly. "I spent the last few days gathering facts with an open mind, and engaging strategically with him. I think I might be getting through to him."

Aang shook his head. "Are you really, Korra? Or is he strategically playing _you_?"

Korra looked down at her feet in distress. "I _think_ I got through to him," she said, "but I _feel_ played. What do you think?"

When she looked up, however, Aang had vanished. Korra sighed and continued her walk back to the inn.

When she opened the door to her room, her radio was flashing with an alert that she had missed several calls from the Republic City Police Headquarters. Korra sat down in front of her radio in a panic and immediately returned the call.

"Where the heck have you been?" Chief Beifong's brusque voice crackled through the air.

"I was gathering intelligence," Korra apologized.

"So? What have you found?"

"Uh…I found that Noatak has a strong support base in Yu Dao, and that he's helped a lot of people."

There was a long silence.

"Are you kidding me, Avatar? We knew that!"

"Oh, I didn't."

"Just _what_ have you been doing these past few days?"

"Listen, Chief. It's not that simple. I've gotten to know him and I think we need a more complex understanding of Noatak and his movement—"

"Oh, for Pete's sake, you've been brainwashed. Listen, Korra, do you know how many people he has killed? Do you know how much violence and bloodshed he has unleashed in Republic City? The death toll rises every day. Maybe I should take you off the case."

"Take me off the case?" Korra repeated incredulously.

"Yes."

"Just give me more time—"

"You have till midnight tonight. Deliver Noatak, or I'm sending in someone else. And if Tarrlok goes rogue too, that Disc is going off."

"Chief—"

Then the call ended and the radio was silent.


	10. Showdown

Korra sat at the edge of the bed with her head in her hands, trying to convince herself that the situation was under control. Surely there was just a big misunderstanding; some petty miscommunication that could easily be resolved.

"Ugh!" she punched the mattress in frustration. Then she got up to slam the window shut; the birds singing outside were getting on her frayed nerves. Just then, Tarrlok entered the room, strolled across the room, and wrapped his arms around her. She shoved him away.

"Beifong called. She wants us to turn Noatak in by midnight."

"Oh."

"She says if we don't complete the job, she'll send in someone else and detonate _this_ ," Korra pointed first to the tiny scab over her chest, and then to the one over his.

"Well, you can easily get rid of those."

"That's not the point. We came here on a mission."

"So we did."

"Tarrlok, this is serious. We've been distracted. Noatak has been playing us."

Tarrlok scowled and turned away from her. Then he crossed the room and opened the window. "Playing us?" he asked irritably.

Korra clenched her fists. "Yes! He knows why we're here. He wants to convince us over to his side."

"That's a little reductive, don't you think?" he smirked and arched his brow. Korra wanted to punch him in the face.

"Reductive?"

"You're reducing the complex subtleties—"

"I understand the word," she snapped. " _You're_ the one who can't see simple facts."

There was a poisonous silence.

"How many people has he killed?" Korra asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Beifong said that Noatak's killed many people. You were on the City Council. Heck, you led a Task Force against him. How. Many. People. Has. He. Killed."

He sighed and straightened himself, as though he were explaining something for the tenth time to a child. "It was a huge movement, Korra. He's not responsible for every accident…"

He rattled on. As Korra watched him rationalize and pontificate, a chill settled like a moth over her heart. For the first time, she grasped the foolishness of ever having expected Tarrlok to work against his brother. They were Yakone's sons, and they shared a primordial bond that nothing would ever break.

Time was running out. Korra stormed out of the room. She was going to have to capture Noatak by herself—she only hoped she would not have to contend with his brother too.

* * *

It was late afternoon and the sun was descending slowly into the horizon, casting long, sleepy shadows over the town square of Yu Dao. Customers dotted the sidewalk outside a bistro, which had set a few tables and chairs outdoors for its patrons to enjoy the balmy afternoon breeze. Easy conversation hummed through the air, and the comforting aroma of freshly brewed tea wafted down the street.

Slick with sweat from combing the town for the past hour, Korra approached the establishment with her target locked in sight. Seated at a small table with two companions and his back to the road was an imposing man in a military jacket, dark trousers, and boots. He had a hot cup of tea in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Korra marched up to him, grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around.

"What do you want, Noatak?" Korra demanded.

The ambient chatter was abruptly silenced.

Noatak set his cup down on the table and calmly flicked away the droplets that had spilled on his wrist. "To enjoy an afternoon with my friends," he replied coolly.

Korra did not waiver. "You knew what we came for, so why were you wasting our time? What do you really want?"

Noatak took an unhurried drag on his cigarette. "I hardly consider the time we spent together a waste, Korra," he gazed meaningfully at her. Then he tapped a segment of ash off his cigarette and watched it flicker to the ground. "But what is your hurry? You have till midnight."

Korra's eyes flashed. "You've been listening to my radio calls?"

"I don't eavesdrop," he replied. "But my friends tell me that your communications security is atrocious. You should tell Beifong."

Korra forced herself to keep a straight face and rummaged through her recent memory for any sensitive information she had exchanged over the air, trying to figure out what Noatak knew. This was not good.

As Korra calculated her next move, trying to ignore the desperate feeling that Noatak had preempted all of them, one of his companions spoke. She was a middle aged woman with large, angry scar running along her right forearm; it looked like it had been caused by fire.

"I don't know who you think you are," the woman with the scar said quietly, "but be careful. It's not just Amon you're dealing with."

Korra looked around in dismay. A small crowd had gathered around them, watching her with dozens of hostile stares.

Noatak smiled slowly and leaned back in his seat. "Now," he mused, "what _do_ I really want?"

* * *

Columns of smoke rose in the distance and the metal factory that Noatak had brought them to just yesterday loomed into view. Tarrlok stepped on the accelerator of the mobile he had rented from a nearby garage, and screeched to a stop at the factory gate.

A lone guard at the security kiosk was listlessly tapping her baton on the table, counting the minutes to the end of her shift. "I'm Amon's brother Tarrlok," he said to her urgently. "I need to see him immediately."

The guard eyed him suspiciously, then pressed a button to speak into it. Moments later, a familiar voice replied.

"Let him in."

Tarrlok sped into the compound and brought the mobile to a stop outside the same entrance they had alighted at the day before. As soon as he slammed the door behind him, he was greeted by Meisa.

"Hello, Tarrlok," she smiled pleasantly at him. "What brings you here today?"

"I'm looking for my brother. I have to talk to him."

"He was just here this morning, but you missed him," she said. "He said he was meeting some friends at the square for tea in the afternoon. What's this about?"

Tarrlok chose his words carefully. "It's about the revolution," he replied. "I have news about developments in Republic City."

Meisa's eyes gleamed. "Ahh. Let's talk inside."

Having learned Noatak's current whereabouts, Tarrlok could have easily taken off. But something about the factory manager's response and demeanor urged him to stay and talk. She led him through the doors, past the furnaces, and into her office. It was a dingy room lined from wall to wall with filing cabinets. Coffee-stained documents and blueprints littered her desk. Tarrlok suppressed his disgust—he despised untidiness, but he was here for more important business.

"Can I offer you a some strong tea, and perhaps a bun? They're not very good, but I live on the stuff," Meisa chuckled.

Tarrlok wanted nothing more than to take her by the shoulders and give her a good shake, but years of conniving in the serpents' lair of big city politics had taught him better.

"How kind of you," he said, settling gracefully into the one seat that wasn't cluttered with papers. "I would _love_ that."

Meisa busied herself with the refreshments while Tarrlok remained expertly nonchalant.

"So is this something Amon's inner circle is entitled to know, or is it too juicy to share?"

"Oh, I'm afraid it's _far_ too juicy," Tarrlok said with a tantalizing smile. "I can only say it has to do with new strategic opportunities for consolidating the revolution. The sooner Amon receives this information, the sooner we can act on it."

"Oooh," Meisa said as she handed him a tray of tepid tea and mediocre pastries. "Somehow I'm not surprised that you were working with him this whole time. That Task Force was a brilliant cover."

"Of course," he lied. "How do you think he made it to Yu Dao?"

Meisa wheeled herself close to Tarrlok and leaned forward. "Well," she smiled conspiratorially, "you'll be glad to know that our comrades will be well equipped for the next stage."

"Oh?" Tarrlok took a sip of tea. "What good news do you have?"

"We've completed a new batch of replacement electric gloves for the ones that were confiscated in Republic City. And the electric guns are ready."

Tarrlok's stomach lurched and the blood drained from his face, but he continued smiling. "Electric guns," he mused. "That sounds serious. I've never seen one."

"That's because they're new," Meisa leaned back and smirked. "They're my brainchild. Hiroshi Sato was a competent replicator, but he never made anything that wasn't invented in Yu Dao first. Of course we never gave him our best designs."

Tarrlok nodded appreciatively and sank his teeth into a soggy _pau_ , pretending to savor it. "So how do these electric guns work?"

"You see, the problem with the gloves was that you needed to be close to your target," she explained. "But the electric gun can shoot a charged, barbed wire over a distance of ten meters into a target's heart. The voltage is adjustable. You can shoot to stun, or kill."

Tarrlok stifled a choke and composed himself. "Well," he said, "it's about time we got tough on the benders."

"I am glad you feel this way," she said. "And trust me, they _will_ pay. I always told Noatak that cleansing them of their impurities was too easy. All they do is act like martyrs afterward, like being a non-bender is the worst thing on earth."

"Indeed," Tarrlok replied and dusted the crumbs off his fingers. "Meisa, it has been a pleasure speaking with you. Shall I convey this news to Amon when I see him, or would you like to do the honors?"

"Oh, he knows," Meisa replied as she shook his hand and showed him to the door. "The production deadline was yesterday. Cutting it a little too close to tomorrow's Operation, if you ask me."

Tarrlok bowed to her, sauntered back to his mobile, and then sped away.

* * *

"You _do_ have a deadline this midnight," Noatak said to Korra, reclining in his seat.

"What do you mean?" she replied tersely. She could feel the crowd tensing around her.

"You've only seen the destructive side of the revolution in Republic City. But now I've shown you a glimpse of the everyday struggles and triumphs of non-benders. This is the true essence of the revolution: a society in which all of this is possible. Now you must choose which side of history you will stand on."

"I will _never_ join you!"

"That's your mistake. You of all people could be a powerful advocate for equality."

"And what is my other choice?"

Noatak fixed her with a cool stare. "To be destroyed, once and for all."

An unbearable tension saturated the air. Korra maintained her outward composure while frantically weighing her dwindling options. If this had been a simple physical combat, she would have prevailed. But this was not a battle of strength. It was a battle of principles: the Avatar as the acme of bending, versus the liberator who had used his own abilities to take down people like her. If she attacked him, she might have to fight her way through the entire crowd. And if she attacked him with her _bending_ , she would only prove his point and play right into his hands. He had maneuvered her into a trap.

 _Screw it,_ Korra thought. With a stamp of her foot, she punched up a column of rock from the ground below Noatak and flung him off his feet.

No sooner had Korra done that than a group descended upon her to tackle her to the ground, while Noatak pivoted like a cat in mid air and landed on his feet. An expression of surprise flickered over his face. The crowd erupted in hisses and jeers.

"Stand back, all of you," she commanded the mass of arms and legs pinning her down. "I don't want to hurt you."

The sound of the heckling crowd rang in Korra's ears. This was the first time in all of her Avatar career that she had been booed. "You harm us just by existing!" she heard someone shout.

"Kill her, Amon!"

"We don't care if you bend at her!"

Noatak raised his hands to silence them, then walked over to her. "I see you got your bending back," he said.

Still on her back with half a dozen people holding her down, Korra glared back him. "I'm the Avatar. You need to deal with it."

She contracted her body and drew herself in. When she pushed out, a force field of air accelerated away from her and flung her captors into the distance with the force of a detonation. Then she flipped up onto her feet, conjuring an eddy of wind to boost her jump and cushion her landing. The crowd drew closer and angrier, but she trained her sights on Noatak. Everybody else would have to get get out of the way or suffer the consequences.

She ignited her fists. People gasped and fled, clearing a path between her and Noatak.

"Fire-bandit!" hissed several voices from the crowd.

Korra ignored them and charged towards Noatak, blazing an incandescent trail behind her as he watched her attack with an expression of stone. When she was at a striking distance, she leapt into the air swung her fire down on him. He stepped aside easily. She straightened her jaw and hooked her fist into his side. He pivoted away, weaving around her like a butterfly. She pulled back her fist and lunged at him again. This time he caught her by the wrist and elbow, locked her arm, and flung her onto the ground.

The crowed circled them loosely and rained vicious taunts on her. Noatak towered above her, his eyes glittering. "You're just another bully, Avatar," he growled.

Korra bristled. She was not going to let Noatak, of all people, accuse her of being a bully. This ended now. She leapt to her feet and cleared the crowd around her with a fierce spout of wind. Then she gouged two boulders of earth from the ground and hurtled them towards him, two arrows converging on a single point. Noatak ducked under the trajectory of the missiles and closed the distance between himself and Korra with a supernatural speed. Before she could react, he delivered a crushing kick to the empty space beneath her sternum and sent her flying backwards. She tumbled roughly over the rock and gravel that she herself had loosened during her attack, and collapsed on her side.

The crowd cheered, baying for her destruction. Korra struggled to her knees, wracked by waves of nausea. When she looked up, individuals divided like cells into twos and threes, then shimmered back into place. Barely conscious, she fell forward onto her palms but her elbows buckled. Noatak was advancing towards her. In desperation, she heaved her last ounce of strength to the fore, reached for the water in Noatak's body, and pushed.

Noatak paused as she held him in place. Then he braced against her grip, reanimated his body with a twitch, and continued his advance towards her as though he were walking through nothing more than a thick fog. Korra gasped weakly and tried harder.

"So my brother taught you a trick or two," he said, looming inexorably towards her. "You bloodbend just like Tarrlok—when he was eight."

Pain wrenched Korra's lungs with every breath she took. She had not recovered in the few seconds since Noatak had kicked her and well-near knocked her out. Before she knew it, Noatak was standing behind her, his rough hand gripping the back of her neck and hoisting her onto her knees. She spun around and rammed her elbow into the side of his knee. Noatak grunted and buckled to the ground, but he rapidly regained his balance and steadied himself on one knee beside her with his hand still on her neck.

Korra squeezed her eyes shut as he wrapped his palm around her forehead.

 _Please, not again._

The shrill cacophony of the crowd faded away, and all she heard was the sound of her pulse throbbing through a dull underwater roar. With excruciating precision, she felt her tissues being sundered, cell from cell, starting at the surface of her skin, past her bones, and deep into her muscle tissue. As the fault line grazed her meridian, she felt the strength depart her body and seep away into the void.

But just as she was about to lose consciousness, his hands suddenly hands flew off her as an unseen force catapulted him some distance away.

"Korra!"

Korra turned towards the familiar voice. It was Tarrlok, but there was no time for him to help her. With the water he had used to knock Noatak off her, he formed a platform of ice and crouched low upon it as he arced it like a liquid wave towards Noatak. When he was close enough, he launched himself with a midair somersault off the edge of the ice, turned it back into water, and deluged Noatak with a furious tide. Faced with imminent death, Noatak could once again no longer afford his scruples. He cleaved the tide down the middle, redirected it around himself, and turned it back against his brother. The battle that followed was swift and savage, a melee of flood and ice that was impossible for onlookers to decipher.

The anger of the crowd started to boil. Never since the Fire Bandit attack had the people of Yu Dao seen such impunity in the use of bending for violence. Korra watched in dismay as people picked up rods, bottles, stones, and any other weapons they could improvise. This was precisely the situation she had tried to avoid.

"That's enough!" they cried.

"Disgraceful!"

"Leave Amon alone!"

Their shouts rang out and their voices crescendoed to a fever pitch. Like a large barrel of gunpowder, all it took was a tiny trigger for them to explode.

Korra looked anxiously toward the brothers. They were bruised and lacerated and their clothes were torn, but they were oblivious to the tension building around them. She struggled to her feet, hoping to diffuse the fight. Tarrlok was winning and Noatak was now on the ground—Korra had to intervene now before he killed him. But before she could even steady herself, Tarrlok shattered the water into hundreds of keen, glinting daggers, and propelled all of them towards his brother. Just then, a young man with an iron wrench stepped forward from the crowd, hoping to assist Noatak. When he saw the ice speeding towards him, he turned on his heels to run. But he was too late. A dagger plunged into his back and pierced through his sternum; then another, and another. He fell motionless to the ground in a pool of his own blood.

The crowd erupted. A roar of fury rang to the heavens like thunder. Sticks, stones, wrenches, and other objects were brandished with a terrifying singularity of purpose as a thousand angry eyes bore into the water bender who had murdered one of their own. No longer were they individual civilians afraid of the benders; they were now citizen executioners taking back their city.

Korra watched the tide of destruction unroll before her eyes, seconds stretching into hours. Tarrlok's eyes widened as he registered the blood-soaked body on the ground. As he stood stunned, a hand from behind grabbed his tattered collar and yanked him off his feet. A crowd swarmed over him and blotted him from Korra's vision. All she saw was a long metal pole being raised into the air and brought down on something on the ground. If Tarrlok said anything, she did not hear it over the voice of the crowd. Then, in the corner of her vision, a different group of people unable to reach Tarrlok turned towards her.

Left on her own, Korra would not have known what to do. But Korra was never alone. Inside her were the lives and wisdom of all her past selves, and the Avatar spirit that animated them all. Now that she was in genuine danger, they rallied to her aid. She closed her eyes to centre her focus, and when they flew open, they shone with white-hot brilliance—the sign of the Avatar State.

Korra conjured a vortex around her to repel the immediate crowd and lift her above the chaos. From her vantage point in the eye of a hurricane, she surveyed the masses. There must have been thousands of people. She swept her arms over the panorama and froze them in place, leaving out Tarrlok and Noatak. She had just bloodbended an entire crowd. The hold she placed them in was a gentle one that immobilized rather than hurt them. But although wisdom of the Avatars had chosen the most peaceful path, this was not what Korra wanted. These people had chosen a dictator and a murderer over her. Then they attacked her partner and nearly turned on her, about to rend them to pieces. She tightened her grip and a collective groan rose from the crowd.

Then she heard a voice speaking to her from within, and a familiar face materialized in her mind's eye.

"Korra," Aang said gently to her, "this isn't over and it never will be. But these people are not the enemy."

After he had spoken, a sense of peace and calm washed over Korra. She loosened her grip on the crowd, and instead soothed their energy lines as she would with an angry spirit, and lulled them all to sleep. All across the square, the people slumped to the ground in a gentle wave. The bright light in Korra's eyes faded away and she lowered herself to the ground, exiting the Avatar State.

Now she and the brothers were the only ones left standing. Noatak's eyes flashed from her to Tarrlok. Then he charged at his brother to end the battle. With a swipe of her hands, Korra drew two iron wrenches that had fallen from in the crowd, and propelled them towards Noatak. They sliced through the air like knives and clanged together as she welded a shackle around his wrists and ankles. Noatak roared in fury as he tumbled to the ground. Then he saw the water that Tarrlok had used against him lying in a puddle nearby, and pulled it towards him. But Tarrlok swiftly dispersed the water into droplets far from Noatak's reach, while Korra shot slabs of earth in a tent around him to fasten him in a kneeling position. He struggled and bellowed futilely: he was now immobilized.

Korra and Tarrlok looked at each other. Tarrlok's leg was bleeding heavily, but he was standing closer to Noatak than she was. She nodded at him.

With slow, heavy steps, Tarrlok stumbled towards his brother. Noatak's eyes widened and he thrashed against his restraints.

"No," he said to Tarrlok. "What are you going to do?"

Tarrlok placed his hand on Noatak's forehead.

"I am sorry, brother."

* * *

Medics busied themselves around Tarrlok, who was lying on a stretcher in an ambulance speeding back to Republic City. His calf was lacerated and his bone likely fractured. The two medics, both water healers, glided orbs of charged water up and down his wounds to stabilize them. The ambulance was ensconced within a convoy of police vehicles, their chorus of sirens wailing plaintively into the night. Somewhere nearby, Noatak was in a heavily guarded police van, on his way back to Republic City with them. He did not pose the same threat he once did, however: his bending was gone, and the trauma had drained him of all his energy.

Korra sat quietly beside Tarrlok and held his hand, her grazed arms spackled with iodine and bandages. Like Tarrlok, she would receive a full medical examination for internal injuries upon their return to Republic City, but for now she felt fine. Tarrlok winced slightly as the medics put his leg in a splint, then relaxed as they administered more healing water over him.

"Hang in there," Korra said tenderly and squeezed his hand.

"Did Beifong get the news?" he responded weakly.

Korra nodded. Tarrlok's first priority once they were safely outside the gates of Yu Dao had been to convey the news of tomorrow's planned operation back to Republic City.

"I'm glad you came back," Korra said. "Noatak was about to take my bending again."

He gingerly pulled her towards him and kissed her as the medics politely averted their eyes.

"I'd never leave you."


	11. Back to Republic City

_(Author's note: Yikes, as a commenter pointed out, there was something wrong with the earlier formatting but I've corrected it (hopefully). Anyway I've come to the end of this story, but I plan to write an epilogue in the weeks to come.)_

Korra and Tarrlok sat side by side at a large table in a conference room at City Hall. The entire City Council, along with Police Chief Beifong and the Avatar's inner circle of friends, were there to receive the returning duo and to hear all about their mission. The meeting wouldn't start for another five minutes and the Avatar's friends were abuzz with excitement.

"Come on, tell us what happened!" Bolin pleaded with Korra. "We're your buddies. Team Avatar! We deserve a sneak preview."

Korra smiled wanly and shot a furtive glance at Tarrlok. He was wearing a simple but elegant black tunic—no longer the sky blue colors of the Northern Water Tribe. "There really isn't much to tell," she said. "It's mostly boring stuff…"

"Oh, don't give us that," Mako rolled his eyes and frowned. He had just caught the secret look between Korra and Tarrlok.

Asami jumped to Korra's aid and pulled the two away from her. "Guys, guys. I'm sure they have a lot to say but they've probably had a rough week, okay? Give them some space."

Korra smiled and nodded at her friend in gratitude. Although she was initially jealous of Asami, she eventually came to appreciate the raven-haired beauty's quiet strength and sensibility, and forged an authentic friendship with her. Besides, Korra was no longer obsessed with Mako; her heart was with someone else now.

The sharp sound of a gavel rapping on wood rang through the hall and interrupted the buzz of conversation. "Order, order!" Tenzin called out. Everyone took their places and gave their attention to him.

"I would like to start by congratulating Avatar Korra and Tarrlok for their successful capture of Amon, the leader of the Equalist Revolution. And because of their work, we managed to foil a major equalist operation that would have cost many lives.

"As we all know, 'Amon' was in fact Tarrlok's own brother Noatak. This mission could not possibly have been easy for our former colleague, and we would like to acknowledge that.

"Amon—Noatak—is currently being held in a high security prison. We will be interviewing him shortly. Meanwhile, the revolution continues to rage like a many-headed beast. Any insights you two of you have gathered will be crucial to our continued fight. Let us hear first from Korra."

Many heads turned expectantly towards the Avatar and a knot formed in her stomach. Public speaking wasn't her strongest suit.

"Well," she began. "We uncovered several Equalist factories at Yu Dao, and a supply chain running from there to Republic City. That's how they've been staying well-provisioned despite Hiroshi Sato's factory being closed down. More importantly, along the way Tarrlok saved my life and I'm a bloodbender now."

A collective gasp went around the room. Tarrlok sighed heavily and massaged his temples. He could feel the consternation of the room descending upon him. Korra was terrible at announcing controversial information.

"What is the meaning of this?" Chief Beifong barked, glaring at the both of them against a background of angry murmuring. "Is that why you took such a long time? Because you were learning how to _bloodbend_?"

"Order, order!" Tenzin called out and pounded his gavel again. The room settled into a simmering, expectant silence.

"Please, friends, let us give Avatar Korra the chance to explain"—he drew a deep, cleansing breath to calm himself, and then exploded—"JUST WHAT ON EARTH SHE MEANS."

Korra jumped to her feet and faced the audience. "When we stopped at Jin Cheng, we were ambushed by equalists who'd followed us from Republic City," she said. "They nearly killed me when I was in the Avatar State. It was Tarrlok who bloodbended me back to life—he forced my heart and lungs to continue pumping after they'd stopped."

A fresh round of whispers broke out as Tarrlok maintained a stoic silence.

"While I was recovering, I discovered the truth about bloodbending. It has destructive _and_ healing properties. Noatak used it to take people's bending away, but together, Tarrlok and I figured out how to use it to restore these victims. This knowledge is going to help many people!"

Then she sat down abruptly, hoping that her speech had gone well. The room thrummed in excitement. Tarrlok breathed a sigh of relief—that was much better.

Beifong turned to Tarrlok. "What do you have to say, ex-councilman?"

"The credit goes to Korra for discovering the beneficial applications of bloodbending," he said simply. "But I would of course be glad to contribute to the development of this knowledge."

The councillors, together with Beifong, looked at each other and conferred silently. After a few moments they reached an agreement, and Tenzin cleared his throat and turned back to the room.

"The information we have just heard is game-changing," he said. "We need time to conduct further investigations, and review several of our strategies and plans—" he turned to Tarrlok and nodded—"not least those pertaining to our former colleague's legal status."

Tarrlok's heart leapt. He had completely forgotten about the charges he faced; perhaps there would be some leniency now. He and Korra exchanged a meaningful glance, and she hooked her ankle around his under the table.

The gavel pounded again. "This meeting is adjourned," Tenzin said.

Korra and Tarrlok remained seated in contemplation as everybody else filed past them. Asami stopped by and put her hands on their shoulders.

"See you two at the party tomorrow," she said. "Seven o'clock, Tenzin's house. Don't forget. You're the guests of honor!"

* * *

A cool breeze blew through the open-air temple, an oasis of peace from the unrest in Republic City. Tenzin's home was alive with conversation, music, and delicious vegetarian food. Korra was excited to see her old friends again. She told them all about her adventures and revelations, careful to leave out the more intimate details between her and Tarrlok. It was good to be settling into a more familiar routine, but a pang of emptiness shot through her heart. She scanned the room for Tarrlok, but he was nowhere to be seen. She excused herself from her friends and searched the temple. Eventually, she found him standing alone on a balcony overlooking the bay.

"Hey," she said.

Tarrlok turned around in surprise. He looked extremely handsome in his dark, formal coat, a simpler version of the one he had worn to the gala he threw in her honor, and his long hair swept into a simple ponytail.

"Mind if I join you?"

"I would enjoy that," he said.

"What are you thinking about?"

"A bit of everything."

Korra stood beside him and they were silent for a minute. "Hey," she started hesitantly, "I'm really, really sorry about Noatak."

"I'm sorry too," he said quietly as he propped himself on the stone railing of the balcony. "I wanted my brother back, but I guess he was long gone."

Korra inched closer to him till her arm was flush against his. This was the first time they had been this close to each other since their return from Yu Dao, as they each retired to their respective homes. Everything that happened on their mission seemed several worlds away now; thinking about it was like watching an old mover-reel you forgot you once starred in. But the bond they forged along the way endured.

"Yeah, we all fell for him," Korra said. "Noatak is one heck of a character. I've never met anyone so charismatic."

"He _is_ special," Tarrlok agreed. Then he turned to Korra and smoothed an imaginary rumple out of her collar, sending goosebumps down her neck in the process. "He's the only person on earth I would have shared you with."

" _Shared_ me?" Korra raised an eyebrow teasingly. "So I'm yours now?"

"Well, I should probably have asked before assuming."

Now Korra was the one embarrassed. She turned away and blushed, keeping her body pressed against his. He stroked her hair and kissed it.

"So, what's the situation with your charges?" she changed the subject.

"Ah. The Council and the Chief of Police decided to drop my charges from 'Illegal Bloodbending' to 'Causing Mischief', which carries a sentence of ten-hours of community service."

"What on earth is 'Causing Mischief'?"

"That's a catch-all charge for miscellaneous offenses they don't know how else to categorize," he explained matter-of-factly. "On one hand, I'm glad this means I won't be disqualified from running for office again. On the other hand, having this on my record just sounds _silly_."

"So you'll run for council again?"

"Yes," he replied. "The next election is only a few months from now, and I was in the middle of preparing for re-election when all this happened anyway. But I'll be making some changes to my platform."

"Oh?"

"Two years ago, I promised Republic City development and prosperity. And I delivered on most of my promises. But recent events made me wonder why it took someone like Noatak to make people take the marginalization of non-benders seriously.

"Noatak's solution of wiping benders off the face of the earth was wrong. But he spoke to a real problem. And unless we address inequality at the source, the resentment that fueled the movement will never go away. So I will make it my mission to increase representation of non-benders at all levels of government, and build bridges between benders and non-benders alike."

Korra smiled at how much he had changed. He was no longer the self-serving councilman she'd met when she first arrived in Republic City. "That's amazing," she finally said. "I would be honored to endorse you."

He turned to her and placed his hands around her shoulders. "That would mean a lot to me," he replied earnestly. "Not because of how it help, but because your trust means the world to me."

"Are you kidding? I trust you with my life now," she said, and wrapped her arms around his waist. "We make a great team."

Standing above the bay, bathed in the cool glow of city lights and faint starlight, Korra and Tarrlok felt the same tingle of solidarity and tenderness they had felt for each other on their dangerous mission. They closed their eyes and leaned towards each other.

The sound of Asami clearing her throat startled them. They immediately pulled away from each other and fussed over their own tunics.

"Hey you two, come back inside. Tenzin's about to give a toast," Asami said with tactful nonchalance.

Back in the main guest hall of Tenzin's beautiful, austere home, guests were milling around, enjoying after-dinner drinks of spiced rice wine. They looked up and applauded as Korra and Tarrlok walked in together.

Tenzin gestured to the both of them, and they took their places on either side of him at the head of the large table. It was strange to be receiving this adulation: for Korra, because this was one of her first public successes, and for Tarrlok, because he thought he would never face a crowd again.

"I'd like to propose a toast," Tenzin started as he held up his cup of liquor, "to two unlikely partners and revolutionaries."

The two looked at each other and smiled. Korra was visibly excited, but Tarrlok was his usual collected self.

"To Tarrlok, who proves that people deserve second chances, and that with one's heart in the right place, darkness can be turned to light."

The guests clapped and cheered. A lump formed in Tarrlok's throat but he promptly quelled it.

Then Tenzin turned to Korra.

"Korra, when you broke the news to us yesterday about your bloodbending, none of us wanted to believe you. But what you did showed fearlessness and an innovative spirit. Because of your insights and courage in following through with them, a practice that was once taboo will now be resurrected to help people and save lives."

The crowed roared, and Korra was overwhelmed. She glanced quickly at Tarrlok, and he smiled at her.

Tenzin raised his cup to the ceiling.

"So here is a toast to Avatar Korra—the Bloodbender."


End file.
